"Radiate" Student Guide

Transcription

International World Changers is a ministry of IMB
(International Mission Board) of the Southern Baptist
Convention, providing student groups and individuals
with pre-packaged mission opportunities that
respond to strategic requests of IMB personnel.
2013 STUDENT DEVOTIONAL GUIDE
n, visit
rmatio
For more info
org/iwc or
imbstudents.
PAGE 131
3113 x1355.
call 800.999.
CG 2M 11/12 P6414
PAGE 133
A Student Devotional Guide for International World Changers
Copyright © 2012 International Mission Board
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any
means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other—
except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
All verses and passages quoted in this material are taken from The
Holy Bible, Holman Christian Standard Version (HCSV), unless
otherwise noted.
Content: Bob Bunn
Editor: Felicity Slemp
Theme Art: Rebecca Valerio
Design: Rebecca Valerio [rebeccavalerio.com]
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Writer bio. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Week four: THE FELLOWSHIP OF LIGHT
Necessary parts: 1 Corinthians 12:12-20 . . . . . . . . . 64
Show your colors: John 13:34-35. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Introduction to devotional guide. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Partners of light: Philippians 1:3-7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Light lineup: Mark 10: 35-45. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Practical suggestions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Light lifts: Hebrews 3:12-14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Week one: THE NEED FOR LIGHT
Departing the dark: Ephesians 4:17-18. . . . . . . . . . . 11
Week five: THE LIFESTYLE OF LIGHT
The dark side: John 3:19-20. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Pure light: 2 Corinthians 6:14-18. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Day and night: Proverbs 4:18-19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Worth the sacrifice: Matthew 10:34-37. . . . . . . . . . . 87
Living dead: Isaiah 59:9-10. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Humble living: John 13:12-15. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
There’s always hope: Psalm107:10-14. . . . . . . . . . . 26
Priestly living: 1 Peter 2:9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Active living: Ephesians 2:10. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Week two: THE SOURCE OF LIGHT
Light work: Genesis 1:3-5. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Project week: LIGHTS IN THE WORLD
Light of the world: John 8:12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Your time to shine: Philippians 2:12-15. . . . . . . . . . . 101
Not about me: 2 Corinthians 4:4-6. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
City on a hill: Matthew 5:14-16. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Strength and weakness: 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 . . . . 41
Light to the nations: Isaiah 42:6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Whatever needs to be done: Philippians 4:13. . . . . . 45
When the Spirit moves: Isaiah 61:1-3. . . . . . . . . . . . 110
What it’s all about: Revelation 7:9-10. . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Week three: THE NATURE OF LIGHT
No hiding! 2 Corinthians 11:14-15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
On the trip home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Light wins! John 1:4-5. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Coming clean: Isaiah 6:1-7. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
It’s not over yet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Dressed up: Romans 13:11-12. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
The hope of dawn: Isaiah 9:2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
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Endnotes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
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WRITER BIO
INTRODUCTION TO
DEVOTIONAL GUIDE
SHINING LIGHT IN A DARK WORLD
Less than nine minutes. That’s how long it takes light from the sun
to reach us here on Earth. That’s pretty fast. To take that a step (or
several steps) further, it takes light less than six hours to reach all the
way to Pluto on the edge of our universe.
In other words, light moves really fast.
Bob Bunn and his wife, Mary, live with their three children in Nashville, Tennessee. While Bob works with the Lampo Group and also
as a freelance editor and writer, he discovered long ago that he really
loves working with teenagers. He has fed that passion as a volunteer
youth leader and teacher for more than 25 years. Bob also tries to
stretch himself periodically by going on international mission trips.
While he has done his best to radiate God’s love in Europe, Canada,
and the Philippines, he is most excited about the mission trip he took
with his oldest son to Haiti last summer. Currently, Bob helps teach
a 12th-grade Bible study group (and other student ministry duties as
assigned) at First Baptist Church, Nashville, Tennessee.
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How fast? Well, scientists tell us that light travels at a rate of 186,000
miles per second. That translates to roughly 700 million miles an
hour. We’re also told that nothing moves faster than the speed of
light.1 That’s good to know since we depend on it so much.
Even though physical light is critical to human existence, you need to
start thinking about a different kind of light as you look forward to
your International World Changers mission trip. You need to focus
your mind on spiritual light—and how you can radiate that light in
the middle of a dark, desperate world.
Jesus talked a lot about spiritual light during His time on earth. On
one occasion, sitting on a hillside teaching His disciples, He told them
that they should let their light shine to their friends and family members. If they would obey this command, those around them would
see their works and would glorify God in heaven (Matthew 5:16).
Their mission involved letting God’s light radiate from their lives so
people would see His love, accept His gift of salvation and leave behind the chains of darkness that were dragging them down. Radiating
God’s light will be your mission too. During your mission adventure,
you’ll meet different people in a different land, but many of them will
have one thing in common: They will need Jesus. You get to be the
one who shares His light.
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The devotions in this book will help you prepare for your task of
radiating God’s light. Over the next six weeks, you’ll study several
aspects of His light—and of the darkness that blinds so many in our
world. In week one, you’ll focus on “The need for light.” The world
is dark, and the need for light is great. You can be a light at home and
on your international mission field.
In week two, you’ll study “The source of light.” When we think
about light in our daily lives, we rely on several different outlets: the
sun, lamps, flashlights, candles and so forth. When it comes to spiritual light, though, we have only one source: Jesus Christ. You have to
make sure you are reflecting Him well as you prepare for your trip—
and for everyday life.
In week three, you’ll consider “The nature of light.” If your light is
going to make a difference in a dark world, you’ve got to embrace
certain qualities and characteristics that will help you shine brighter—
and avoid distractions and pitfalls that can dim your light. You have
to live out certain values that reflect the character of God.
In week four, you’ll look at “The fellowship of light.” Living as a
believer in this world, especially as a believer on mission, means
you can’t go it alone. You are part of a team—the body of Christ.
Believers are called to move together, support one another and help
compensate for the weaknesses of others.
In week five, you’ll read about “The lifestyle of light.” Believers
are called to be different from the world around them, so our lives
should be marked by godly characteristics. We reflect the light of
Christ in the way we live. As a result, our lifestyles should set us apart
and encourage the world to want what it sees in us.
In week six, you’ll be on the field in your host country, so you’ll be
working through the truth that you are “Lights in the world.” You
should be living out what you say you believe. You should be learning
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how to live by faith, move out of your comfort zone, rely on God’s
Spirit, have compassion for the lost and do things you never would
have imagined. Most importantly, you will be carrying the Light of
the World to others by being lights in the world.
Finally, your mission journey is not finished once you get on the
plane home. In fact, your reentry into life in the USA may be the
most crucial part of your mission trip. The way you merge your missions experience with your life back home will determine what God
can do with the rest of your life. At the end of this devotion guide is
an article about coming home, a worksheet for you to complete on
the plane ride home and extra journal pages so you can write down
what God is telling you about missions and His plan for you once
you return home.
As you begin this devotion, you might think that your missionary
journey will start when you step on the plane to leave. In reality, it
has already started and now you’ll get some specific preparation for
the work God has for you. He wants to use you to make a difference
in the lives of many people. He will only use you, however, if you let
Him transform your life first.
Light travels from the sun to the earth in less than nine minutes.
That’s a quick trip and, at the end of the day, the sun goes down and
the light goes away. But the light of Christ you reflect through your
life will be an investment that lasts until eternity. God bless you as
you learn to rely on Him fully in every situation you face so you can
radiate his light into the darkness.
Bob Bunn
Nashville, Tennessee
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PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS
We want to help you make this resource as meaningful as possible.
Consider these ideas as you begin using this guide:
• If you are part of group participating in an IWC project, a Group
Preparation Guide has been sent to your group leader with important
learning sessions to go along with this piece.
• Join others on Facebook who are working through these devotions.
Go to imbstudents.org/iwcstudents or search for IWC Students
on Facebook.
• Enlist a prayer partner who is not part of your mission team to help
with your personal accountability during spiritual preparation. Communicate each week with this person on your progress through the
devotional guide.
• Take time to read the key Scripture passages and really answer the
questions offered in this guide. Make this an investment; God will
make it worthwhile!
• Use the letters ACTS to remind you of ways to pray.
Adoration—tell Christ many ways you adore Him and find Him glorious.
Confession—agree with Christ that sin is sin and embrace the forgiveness He won for you on the cross.
Thanksgiving—tell Christ many different ways you are thankful for who He is and what He has done.
Supplication—pray for others and pray for yourself. Pray primar-
ily that Christ will help you see situations through His eyes and that He will orchestrate situations to bring His kingdom on earth for His glory.
• Use this devotional guide with your Bible and pen in hand. Be ready
to write down some life lessons along the way.
IWC offers other preparation resources on our website imbstudents/
iwcprep. Resources on the web include prayerwalk training, evangelism techniques, including the creation to Christ story, Bible studies,
prayer fundraising ideas, tips for crossing cultures and staying healthy
and basic travel information, including how to get passports, immunizations and plane tickets.
Get ready for God to work in your one life over the next few weeks.
We are praying you will have a life changing, world-impacting, Christhonoring experience!
IWC Staff
Richmond, VA
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WEEK ONE: DAY ONE
The Ephesian believers had come out
DEPARTING THE DARK
of a culture that mirrored the very
KEY SCRIPTURE PASSAGE: EPHESIANS 4:17-18
one time, their lives had reflected
things Paul warned them against. At
the dark foolishness of life without
“YOU CAN ALSO
LET THEM SEE THE
LIGHT OF CHRIST
IN YOU RADIATING
THROUGH ALL OF
YOUR THOUGHTS,
ACTIONS AND
WORDS.”
In “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, J.R.R. Tolkein introduced the
Christ. Like Gollum, they had lived
world to Gollum, a miserable creature who had spent decades living
in utter darkness before Christ—not
in the caverns underneath Middle Earth. Gollum’s obsession with
physically, but spiritually. Also like
the ring of power—“the Precious,” as he called it—had completely
Gollum, that darkness skewed their perception of everything around
twisted his mind. His grasp of reality had been eroded over time,
them. In a very real sense, they couldn’t think straight because their
along with any sense of right and wrong he once knew.
minds were engulfed in darkness.
Even after Gollum left the caverns to accompany the hobbits, Frodo
Fortunately, that wasn’t the end of the story. Paul said they could now
and Sam, the darkness of his thinking overwhelmed his desire to do
resist the darkness because they had come into the light of Christ.
right. His passion to own the ring at any cost ended up owning him.
Their crooked thinking had been straightened out through a personal
It pushed him to scheme against the hobbits and, in the end, the very
relationship with Jesus. Someone—in this case, Paul—had loved
thing he wanted so badly destroyed him.
them enough to pierce the darkness with the message of God’s love
READ EPHESIANS 4:17-18.
and light.
In the space below, record the words used to describe those who
Time has passed, but darkness still reigns in the lives of many people
today. Their thinking is distorted by sin. Their hearts are hardened
choose sin over salvation.
because they really don’t comprehend the incredible love God has for
them. Who’s going to share the truth with them? Who’s going to live
in a way that lets God’s light penetrate their darkness?
The picture really isn’t pretty. Futile thoughts. Godless pursuits. Dark
understanding. Ignorant lives. Hard hearts. That’s how the apostle
Paul described those who had never heard about God’s offer of
salvation or who had chosen to walk away from it.
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On your mission trip, that someone will very likely be you. Wherever
your journey leads you and your coworkers, you may come face-toface with darkness. The local people will recognize that you are different because of the way you look and the language you speak, but
you can also let them see the light of Christ in you radiating through
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all of your thoughts, actions and words. You’ll get the chance to share
the truth that can move people from a life excluded from God to a
life committed to God.
You can start preparing your heart for those God-ordained opportu-
DID YOU KNOW?
The city of Ephesus was a hotspot for idolatry in the first century and it
housed one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the temple to
the Greek goddess, Artemis. Paul’s preaching about Jesus in Ephesus
caused a riot, sparked by local tradesmen who profited from the worship of Artemis (Acts 19:21-40).2
nities right now. These devotions will be a big part of that preparation. Prayer, Bible study, fellowship with your team and mission training will help, too. As you get ready to go, begin letting God minister
through you here at home. Let your life radiate the light of God right
now and share the overflow of Christ’s love each day.
NOTES
QUESTIONS TO PONDER:
Where do you see spiritual darkness at home? What frightens you
about the idea of facing spiritual darkness on your mission field?
ACTION POINT:
Do some research on the part of the world where you will minister.
Identify some things about that culture that might hold people in
spiritual darkness. Write your findings below.
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WEEK ONE: DAY TWO
THE DARK SIDE
KEY SCRIPTURE PASSAGE: JOHN 3:19-20
translation idea). The hope was that people could see truths they had
never seen before because they had never experienced God’s Word
personally.
Centuries earlier, Jesus talked about a group of people who lived in
John Wycliffe saw a problem. Solving that problem, however, landed
similar darkness. In fact, John 3:19-20 tells us that they had become
him in a mess of trouble with the church leaders of his day. They
so comfortable in the darkness that they preferred that to living in
labeled him a heretic and essentially forced him out of his church
the light.
pastorate in England. Why?
READ JOHN 3:19-20.
Wycliffe thought the Bible needed to be translated from Latin into
a language the “common people” could understand. Since Wycliffe
lived in Britain, he wanted the Bible to be translated into English.
You see, in Wycliffe’s day, the common people had to rely on the
priests and other church leaders to explain God’s Word to them.
Wycliffe believed, “Englishmen learn Christ’s law best in English.
It’s hard to imagine someone choosing darkness over light, but that’s
exactly where many people still live today. Some think the darkness helps hide the things they do wrong. They don’t want their sin
exposed, so they try to live in the dark corners of life where no one
can see them.
Moses heard God’s law in his own tongue; so did Christ’s apostles.”3
Others don’t necessarily reject the light of the Gospel; they’ve just
Without John Wycliffe, you and I might not be able to read the Bible
never known anything but darkness in their lives. They don’t know
in English.
the joy of living in the light. No one has taken the time to share the
What do you think is the difference between being totally dependent
on others to learn about God and being able to read the Bible in your
own language? Write your answer below.
light with them, so they continue living in darkness.
“THEY DON’T
KNOW THE JOY
OF LIVING IN
THE LIGHT.”
Regardless of why people choose to live in
darkness, their decision will have a definite
impact on your life as a Christian and on
your mission experience. Because people
have become comfortable in darkness, they
may resist your efforts to share the truth with them. They may not
By reading Scriptures for themselves, the common people could fig-
embrace the light of the Gospel at first. That might make your min-
ure out whether or not their leaders had been telling them the truth
istry more difficult, but it just means that you’re going to have to love
(which was one of the reasons the leaders didn’t like Wycliffe or his
them even more.
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Always remember that God is already working in those tough situa-
DID YOU KNOW?
tions. He is already on your mission field. He is moving in peoples’
John Wycliffe didn’t live to complete his English translation of the
Bible. His friend and co-worker, John Purvey, finished the task after
Wycliffe’s death in 1384. More than four decades after his death,
church officials branded Wycliffe as a heretic. As “punishment,” they
dug up and burned his remains, then scattered them in a river. 4
hearts before you ever arrive, so there will be some who are curious
about the message you bring. You won’t know who is interested until
you share, so it’s up to you to share with everyone and let God do the
rest.
John Wycliffe made the choice to bring light to a dark world—even
if that choice was costly. By agreeing to minister overseas, you
NOTES
have made the same choice. Begin asking God now to give you the
strength you need to radiate the light of His love faithfully so you can
help individuals leave the dark side and move into the light of Christ.
In the space below describe a time when you were comfortable in
your sin (darkness). What eventually moved you out of that comfort
zone?
ACTION POINT:
Use a concordance or a Bible dictionary to identify six verses that
talk about the light of God. Commit to memorize one of these
verses each week between now and the time you leave for your mission experience. Write below the verses you chose.
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WEEK ONE: DAY THREE
Even as believers, we can experience those dark days, but our rela-
DAY AND NIGHT
tionship with Jesus means that He walks with us through those times.
KEY SCRIPTURE PASSAGE: PROVERBS 4:18-19
forgives us and gives us a clean slate when we confess sin that led us
He reaches down and encourages us when we feel overwhelmed. He
into that darkness. He radiates light into our darkness.
A few years ago, my family visited Mammoth Cave National Park
in Kentucky. It was amazing to walk through the caverns and learn
Not everyone has that benefit, though.
about the history of the largest cave system in the world.
READ PROVERBS 4:18-19.
At one point, the ranger led us into a large cavern that looked a lot
like an indoor auditorium. He encouraged us to sit on the benches
in the room and then he turned out the lights. You may have heard
people talk about places so dark that they couldn’t see their hands in
How does the writer of these verses contrast “the righteous” (those
who have a relationship with Jesus) and “the wicked” (those who
don’t walk with Him)?
front of their faces. That was exactly how it was in Mammoth Cave. I
put my hand inches in front of my eyes and could not see it because
the darkness was so deep. I could almost feel the darkness.
After a minute or two, the lights came back on—much to the relief
of most visitors—and we continued the tour. But that utter blackness
was something I’ll always remember about Mammoth Cave.
According to Proverbs 4, the difference is as clear as day and night.
A personal relationship with Jesus doesn’t mean your life will be perfect, but it does mean that we live with the Light of the World who
provides peace and security, no matter our circumstances. The darker
Have you ever been lost in a dark place? In the space below, write a
the situation, the more light He provides. It’s like the relief we all felt
short paragraph that describes how you felt in that darkness.
when the lights came back on in Mammoth Cave.
In contrast, those living without Christ reside in the “darkest gloom.”
They stumble around and can’t even identify the obstacles that make
them stumble. It’s a dangerous way to live—like trying to find your
Sometimes the darkness we experience has nothing to do with the
amount of light in a room. It’s something that nags us from the inside. It’s a feeling that leaves us empty and lonely. It could be a beautiful sunny day outside, but we feel miserable in our hearts.
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way out of Mammoth Cave without a light to guide the way.
Christians are called to reach out to others and to help them move
from darkness into light. You will get the chance to do that on your
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DID YOU KNOW?
mission adventure, but you don’t have to wait until then. People in
your hometown are just as lost and hopeless as the people you will
meet overseas. Let them know they don’t have to stumble in the
night. Radiate the light of God’s love into their lives.
The Book of Proverbs uses several literary styles to share God’s wisdom. The early chapters of the book (Prov. 1—9) use long segments of
teaching written in a poetic style. Other chapters contain wise sayings
that either contrast right and wrong (like today’s devotion verses) or
tell us how to live (“do this” or “don’t do that”). The famous “virtuous
woman” verses of chapter 31 are really a poetic acrostic built on the
Hebrew alphabet. 5
With whom can you share the light that Jesus brings into a dark life?
Write those names below.
NOTES
What other illustrations (other than stumbling in the night) could you
use to help someone understand their need for a Savior?
ACTION POINT:
You really can’t share the light with someone if you’re stumbling in
darkness yourself. Evaluate your own relationship with Christ. If you
have never accepted Jesus as Savior, talk with your parents or student
minister about that. If you are a believer, but have let sin strain your
relationship with God, confess that to Him and ask for His forgiveness. Where are you in your relationship with God?
PAGE 21
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What would you do if a “zombie apocalypse” swept across your
“YOU CAN MAKE
A DIFFERENCE IN
SOMEONE’S LIFE—
THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN LIFE AND
DEATH.”
neighborhood?
nation (Isaiah 6:5). Later, in Isaiah 59:9-10, he painted a sad picture
Basically, that was the question posed a couple of years ago by the
of people overwhelmed by darkness. They desperately wanted a way
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In a blog post
out, but just couldn’t find the light at the end of the tunnel. They felt
by an assistant surgeon general, readers were challenged to design a
hopeless—like dead people walking among the living.7
plan to deal with a zombie invasion. Apparently, some people had
These days, “spiritual zombies” will try almost anything to feel alive
expressed concern that zombies could become a real problem due
again. Drugs. Alcohol. Rebellion. Power. False religions. Shallow rela-
to radiation leaks caused by the devastating Japan earthquake and
tionships. In the end, though, none of those can satisfy. Often, they
tsunami in March 2011. So, the nation’s premier health agency wanted
only lead to deeper darkness and emptiness.
WEEK ONE: DAY FOUR
LIVING DEAD
KEY SCRIPTURE PASSAGE: ISAIAH 59:9-10
While we don’t have to worry about
zombies breaking into our homes, the
prophet Isaiah highlighted some “living dead” who deserve our attention.
When God called him to preach, Isaiah
confessed that he lived in an unclean
to make sure everyone was prepared—just in case.
Only one Person can bring hope from despair. Only one Savior can
In reality, the CDC was using the popularity of zombies to drive
bring the dead to life. His name is Jesus and He is the only answer to
home a more urgent point—that everyone needs to be ready for a
the spiritual zombies looking for a sliver of light in the midst of their
natural disaster. The suggestions for effectively dealing with a zombie
darkness. They don’t know Him yet and they may not even realize
invasion also apply to more relevant issues like hurricanes or floods:
they need Him. That’s where you come in.
create an emergency kit, know who to contact in case of an emergency, know where to go to find safety and shelter, and so forth.6
You can share the truth of God’s love with them. You can let them
know that the One who defeated death and the grave can bring them
How have you or people you know reached out to help the people
to life again. You can bring the hope of health, healing and new life
affected by disasters?
to people who’ve known nothing but spiritual death. Whether it’s at
home or on the mission field, you can make a difference in someone’s
life—the difference between life and death.
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When have you experienced feeling hopeless? How could that help
you be more effective as a missionary at home and abroad?
WEEK ONE: DAY FIVE
THERE’S ALWAYS HOPE
KEY SCRIPTURE PASSAGE: PSALM 107:10-14
You may know C.S. Lewis as the author of “The Chronicles of Narnia.” You might even know him as an incredibly gifted and influential
Christian theologian and philosopher. But did you know that Lewis
ACTION POINT:
also spent most of his teen and young adult years as an atheist?
Take a few minutes today or tomorrow to prayerwalk around your
neighborhood. If you know about the specific needs of some neighbors, pray for those as you walk by their houses. For neighbors you
don’t know as well (or at all), pray that God will meet their needs and
lead them to a deeper knowledge of Him.8
In his autobiography, “Surprised by Joy,” Lewis recounted how he
embraced atheism as a young man and did all he could to run from
God in the years that followed. He compared his flight from God
to a cosmic chess match . . . and you can guess who finally won that
game. When God finally placed him in “checkmate,” though, Lewis
confessed that he was not thrilled with the arrangement.
In 1929, alone in his room at Magdalen College, Lewis finally “admitted that God was God, and knelt and prayed.” He portrayed himself
as the “most dejected and reluctant convert in all of England.”10
Think about your own salvation experience? How would you describe
your emotions at the time? What obstacles tried to keep you from
coming to God?
DID YOU KNOW?
Isaiah was a prophet called by God to preach about 700 years before
Jesus was born. Jewish tradition states that Isaiah died as a martyr,
being sawn in half by the evil king Manasseh.9
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READ PSALM 107:10-14.
Based on Lewis’ story, he might have understood the feelings of
the people described in this psalm. The psalmist described a people
What have this week’s devotions taught you about the dark condition
of people living without Christ?
who ran from God, only to find themselves bound in “darkness and
gloom” (v. 10). They rebelled against God and they landed in a spiritual prison. Because they had despised God’s way, they were locked
up in cruel chains.
How has this perspective influenced the way you see your upcoming
mission trip?
Along the way, though, God was at work in their lives. He allowed
them to go through difficult times as a way to draw them back to
ACTION POINT:
Him. He gave them the freedom to wander in their own way, but
Take a few minutes to think about the “Light Meter” below. Put an
never really let them out of His sight. When they cried out to the
“X” where you think the people in your host country sit in terms of
Lord, He responded in love and saved them from their distress. He
spiritual darkness. Put your initials on the spot that you think best
removed them from their darkness and gloom. He destroyed their
represents where you sit on the meter. Share your responses with a
chains and gave them a freedom they had never known was possible.
friend or accountability partner. Commit to praying for each other in
As you prepare for your international missions, remember that God
the days to come.
is still at work in the lives of individuals who seem hopeless. Some
Christians might have thought C.S. Lewis was a hopeless cause that
even God couldn’t reach. But no one with breath in their lungs is really without hope that God will be merciful. You can share that hope
with them.
They may be trapped in darkness, but you can radiate the light of
God’s love into that darkness. The may be held prisoner by sin, but
you can let them know the freedom that God longs to give them. Ask
DID YOU KNOW?
God to remind you that He is strong enough to make a difference in
Psalm 107 recounts the marvelous ways God has moved on behalf of
humanity, even though we haven’t deserved any of His gracious help.
It also challenges us to tell others what He has done (vv. 2, 22, 32). You
might be nervous about facing the spiritual darkness in a strange land,
but remember the power of simply sharing what God has done for you.
every life—and to guide you as you let needy folks know that there’s
always hope.
PAGE 27
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WEEK TWO: DAY ONE
Thankfully, the darkness was only temporary. That’s because when
LIGHT WORK
God moved, He moved in a really big way! With His spoken word,
KEY SCRIPTURE PASSAGE: GENESIS 1:3-5
He introduced light into the world and separated that light from the
darkness that had overwhelmed everything just a few seconds earlier.
As light radiated into the universe, it spelled the beginning of the
When I was a kid, I sometimes tried to think back as far as I could
end for the chaos that had ruled. God began the process of bringing
remember. The best I could do was a family vacation when I was
order where none had been before.
about three years old. I vaguely recall something about riding a train
up a mountain, but that’s about it. My parents tell me that was Stone
In the same way, God radiates His light into our lives and brings
Mountain, Georgia. I guess they know better than I do.
order from the chaos of darkness we lived in before we knew Jesus.
Today’s devotion verses serve as a reminder that God still brings
I would also try to think about what life was like before I was born. I
spiritual light to the world. He still draws a distinction between the
would try to picture what it would be like to grow up during the Civil
darkness that seems to dominate everything around us and the light
War or the American Revolution. Occasionally, I would think all the
of Christ that shines through us when we live out His Word. The
way back to the days of Jesus or even Abraham. Then, I would won-
more we know God’s Word, the brighter and more clearly His truth
der what it would have been like to see God create the world.
radiates from our lives. We also see the truth distinctly from the dark-
If I went any farther back than that, though, I ran into a problem:
ness around us as God illumines our minds with truth.
darkness. I know that God has always been around. I understand that
Which is more powerful, darkness or light? How much light does it
no one created Him and that there has never been a minute when He
take to overwhelm darkness?
has not existed. I have to accept those truths by faith because they
are hard concepts to wrap my brain around. Throw in the fact that
everything was “formless” and “darkness covered the surface” of the
world, and things get even murkier.11
Without God, physical light would never have entered our lives and
If a friend asked you what the world was like before God created
without Him, our spiritual lives would be dark, as well. The lives of
everything, how would you describe it? Write your ideas below.
those around you who do not know Jesus are completely spiritually
dark, just like the lives of many people you will meet on your mission
project.
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Over the next several days, we’re going to take a closer look at God
as the source of spiritual light. As you read this week’s devotions,
spend some time evaluating your life. Try to figure out how important God’s light is to your life. Work to identify other sources of light
that might try to deceive you. Then pray about how the reality of
God’s “light work” needs to have an impact on your international
mission experience.
DIDYOU
YOU
KNOW?
DID
KNOW?
The presence of light makes it possible to determine colors. Light
is made of different colored rays (like a rainbow) and when all of the
colors are present, the light is white. When light hits a solid object,
though, most of the waves are reflected and the color absorbed by the
object determines the color of that object. For example, a wall painted
blue is blue because it absorbs blue light rays and reflects everything
else. How does God’s light show the colors of your life as it radiates
from you?
How does the fact that God spoke light into existence encourage and
NOTES
inspire you?
What does His power tell you about your upcoming mission trip?
Write your answer below and then share your thoughts with some of
your team members this week.
ACTION POINT:
The fact that God created light is an incredibly big deal. It’s really
something worth bragging on Him about. List at least three other
reasons you can brag on the greatness of God. Write your list below
and then write the names of at least three people to whom you will
brag about God this week.
PAGE 31
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WEEK TWO: DAY TWO
Now, enter Jesus in John 8. During one of the major festivals of the
LIGHT OF THE WORLD
Jewish calendar, He told everyone that what they believed about the
Messiah was wrong. What’s more, He told them He knew all this
KEY SCRIPTURE PASSAGE: JOHN 8:12
because He was the Messiah.
Talk can be pretty cheap—especially when it comes to advertising.
When Jesus claimed to be the “light of the world,” the people knew
Whether it’s a product being promoted by a local store, something
exactly what He meant. When He said He could rescue them from
you got off the Internet, or an unbeatable value from television (only
darkness and provide the “light of life,” He left no doubt about what
$19.95 . . . but wait, there’s more!), we’ve all had experiences when
He was claiming. That’s why the religious leaders debated with Him
what we expected wasn’t quite as life-changing as advertised.
in the next few verses and ended up wanting to stone Him by the end
of chapter eight!
When have you been disappointed by something for which you had
high expectations? How did you feel about it? Write your response
The Pharisees repeatedly told Jesus he was wrong and even demon-
below.
possessed for the claims He made (v. 48), but Jesus knew that He
was the Messiah. He knew that He was the only hope for people to
have a new relationship with God. They were living in darkness and
they needed His light. He also knew that the only way to battle wrong
False advertising—or ending up with a dud product—can be frustrat-
information is to confront it with the truth.
ing enough when it deals with the everyday stuff of life. What if you
That’s an important statement to remember as you prepare for your
discovered that everything you had believed about eternity was totally
international mission trip. So many ‘little g” gods have raised them-
misguided? In a sense, that’s exactly what Jesus was trying to explain
selves up in the world. Some of them are statues built of stone and
to the people in John 8:12-30.
some are founded on the life of a flesh-and-blood person, but they
The Jews knew that God had promised a Messiah to rescue His
people and they knew that He had promised to send the Messiah
through the descendants of King David.12 But the longer they waited
for the Messiah to arrive, the muddier their ideas became of who
all promote false advertising about the purpose of life and the fundamental nature of eternity. Jesus is still the only light that can penetrate
this darkness, and you’ll have the chance to share that truth when you
are on your mission project.
He would be and what He would do. While God planned a spiritual
From your research about your host country and their religious
Savior to save people from sins, the Jews began to think in terms of a
beliefs, what “false advertising” do you already know you will have
political/military leader to save them from their enemies.
to confront while you are there? Write your answers below. If you do
PAGE 33
PAGE 34
not know the answer, do some research online about the place and
people you will visit.
Begin praying about the “false advertisements” you’ll be facing in
DID YOU KNOW?
When Jesus announced He was the “light of the world,” it was
during the Jewish Festival of the Tabernacles during which the
people would build small tabernacles (or “booths”) and live in them
for a week. The booths reminded the people of Israel’s days in the
wilderness, and a large lighted candle reminded them of when
God led them in the wilderness as a pillar of fire. Jesus in effect
was saying, “You have the symbol, I am the real thing!”13
your host nation. Pray that you’ll have the wisdom and courage to
share the only true Light with those who need to hear and respond.
NOTES
What kinds of misbeliefs about Jesus today are similar to the way the
Jews misunderstood the Messiah? Write your answers below.
When have you misunderstood who Jesus is and what He has done?
How will that experience help you be a more effective witness on
the field?
ACTION POINT:
You probably know some members of your team better than others.
This week, get to know at least two team members you don’t know as
well. Make an intentional effort to speak to them this week. Find out
how you can pray for them between now and the time you leave for
the mission field—then lift those requests up to God each day.
PAGE 35
PAGE 36
WEEK TWO: DAY THREE
with him during the election. He also wanted individuals who had a
NOT ABOUT ME
good standing in different parts of the country because that could
KEY SCRIPTURE PASSAGE: 2 CORINTHIANS 4:4-6
and his agenda on the back burner—temporarily—because he be-
help keep the northern states unified. In a sense, Lincoln put himself
lieved that was best for the nation. In contemporary slang, he knew
Abraham Lincoln was really a smart guy, even though many people
that preserving the nation wasn’t all about him.
doubted that fact when he was elected president. Some questioned
his intelligence, but those who knew him well recognized the wisdom
The “it’s not about me” attitude was also familiar to another smart
and intellect that was cleverly disguised by the folksy demeanor and
guy, except he happened to live in the first century. The apostle Paul
funny stories. After all, he essentially had taught himself how to be a
spent most of his Christian life on the road. He founded churches all
lawyer and had proven to be a shrewd politician in his home state of
over the known world and was recognized as a key leader in Christian
Illinois.
circles, especially among non-Jews.
When he was elected president in 1860, he made a move few could
Despite his solid reputation and example, he still faced attacks on
understand at the time—including the men most affected by his
his character. Some of the harshest criticisms came from the city of
decision. Lincoln intentionally chose his fiercest rivals to fill the key
Corinth, where idolatry was a very popular norm and the believers
positions in his presidential cabinet. Men who had fought him tooth-
struggled with spiritual immaturity. Paul basically ignored their char-
and-nail for the White House now served as his closest advisors.14
acter assassination comments and refused to give up on the Corinthians. Why? Because he knew it wasn’t about him.
If you had been Lincoln, what would you have done with your
political rivals?
READ 2 CORINTHIANS 4:4-6.
Paul understood the deceptive power of Satan, who had blinded the
spiritual eyes of so many people. The enemy made it hard for the
Corinthians to see the truth of God and Paul didn’t want to get more
in the way of the truth by demanding the respect due him as God’s
emissary. Instead, he was committed to simply proclaim Jesus. To
Lincoln’s logic makes better sense in the light of history. He knew the
Paul, God’s light and character was all that mattered. Paul radiated
challenges the nation was facing and he understood that an outright
love and patience for the Corinthian believers in order to bolster and
rebellion of southern states was a very real possibility. In light of
solidify their faith in Christ.
that, he wanted the best people by his side, even if they had disagreed
PAGE 37
PAGE 38
On the mission field, you might be tempted to make more of yourself than you should. After all, you’ve given up a week of your life
and spent a lot of money to travel to another corner of the world. It
would be easy to think the people owe you something. But that’s not
how Jesus expects you to act. He wants you to remember that it’s not
about you—at all. He wants you to radiate His light so that the people
ACTION POINT:
Write the phrase, “It’s not about me!” on an index card. Tape that
card to your bathroom mirror or another prominent location. On another card, write the phrase, “Radiate Jesus!” and place it in another
location such as in your car or on your backpack. Let these cards
serve as a reminder of your true mission both overseas and at home.
in your host country will see what life is all about.
It’s all about Him . . . because His light is all that matters. Radiate
DID YOU KNOW?
God’s light and love and not your own agenda so the people of your
Paul spent 18 months establishing a church in Corinth and ministering
there (Acts 18:11). While the Scripture doesn’t mention that he faced
persecution in Corinth, the Lord did speak to him in a dream, encouraging him to be bold and to continue his work. To learn more about
Paul’s time in Corinth, study Acts 18.
host country will see your good works and give glory to your Father
in heaven (Matthew 5:16).
As you prepare for your mission adventure, whose light are you
preparing to radiate, your own or God’s? If your answer is “God’s
NOTES
light,” write some practical ways you plan to radiate His light in that
other country. Also, write down some ways you will give up your own
agenda (preferences, desires) in order to radiate God’s light.
Do you expect people in your host nation to admire you for the “sacrifices” you’ve made, or are you committed to demonstrating nothing
but Jesus and His love?
PAGE 39
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WEEK TWO: DAY FOUR
STRENGTH AND WEAKNESS
What similarities do you see between Paul’s experiences and the life
of a knuckleball pitcher? Write your response below.
R.A. Dickey was facing the end of a career that had hardly begun.
Despite being an Academic All-American in college and a starting
pitcher on the 1996 United States Olympic team, Dickey was having
trouble sticking it in the major leagues. He had been drafted in the
first round by the Texas Rangers, but then bounced between the
major and minor leagues for the bulk of his early career.
While a knuckleball’s erratic movement serves as its primary benefit,
other factors also play a role in the pitch’s success. For example,
knuckleballs tend to be much slower than traditional pitches. While
fire-throwing major leaguer pitches push 90 or 100 miles an hour, a
Part of Dickey’s problem rested in the fact that he couldn’t throw
knuckleball usually travels slower than your parents’ car on the high-
very hard. For some reason, he continued to lose speed on his
way—anywhere from 55 to 75 miles an hour. That change of speeds
pitches, which made them easy targets for hungry batters. For most
alone can mess up a batter’s timing.
pitchers, a lack of velocity means a short baseball life.
Unless they learn to throw a knuckleball.
Of course, that’s not an easy task in itself. The knuckleball has little
spin and even the best knuckleball pitchers admit that they rarely
Knuckleball pitchers also tend to enjoy longer careers. Since knuckleballs aren’t thrown hard and require very little spin, they put almost
no strain on a pitcher’s arm. That reduces the risk of injury and lets
the pitcher play longer.
know where the ball is going. Its movements are unpredictable. So,
When you think about it, the success of a knuckleball pitcher is
when the knuckleball is working well, batters can look silly trying
based on the opposite of everything most pitchers embrace. Accord-
to hit it. If it isn’t working, it just hangs in the air and usually gets
ing to traditional logic, pitch velocity, movement, control and youth
smashed.
are treasured commodities. But knuckleball pitchers turn convention-
For Dickey, the knuckleball was a game-changer. After some rough
outings in the early days, he learned to control the pitch better and
al wisdom on its ear by relying on the very weaknesses most pitchers
try to avoid.
has become a reliable—and often stellar—starting pitcher in the big
Turning a weakness into a strength isn’t anything new. Paul under-
leagues.
stood that when he wrote his second letter to the Corinthians. He
15
had never tried to impress them with his preaching or appearance. He
PAGE 41
PAGE 42
knew genuine power didn’t rest with anything he could do or say or
the way he looked. So, he allowed God’s strength to work through his
weakness.
ACTION POINT:
Take another prayerwalk today. Last week, you focused on your
neighborhood. This week, focus on your church. Spend time walk-
ing the halls of your church building, praying for the teachers and
students who will be in Bible study. Pray for the pastor and music
As you get ready for your overseas project, you might feel completely
leader who will be guiding the worship services this week. Pray over
overwhelmed by what you think you can’t do. You might be tempted
the nursery area and other areas that represent key ministries in your
to focus on your inadequacies. Like a knuckleball pitcher, you need
congregation. Finally, pray over your student ministry area (especially
to remember that weaknesses are not always a bad thing. God turns
the rooms where you spend the most time). Ask God to be strong in
conventional wisdom on its ear, using the weak things of the world
your weaknesses and in your friends’ weaknesses as you prepare for
for His glory in order to shame the strong (1 Corinthians 1:27). He
your mission trip.
wants to radiate His strength through your weaknesses.
Your true strength has nothing to do with you—except as you allow
DIDYOU
YOU
KNOW?
DID
KNOW?
yourself to get out of the way of God’s work in your life. Take time
In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul talked about a “thorn in the flesh” (v. 7) that
reminded him not to boast about his experiences with God. Some
scholars think that thorn may have been a physical ailment that affected his appearance or his ability to speak. In that case, any benefit
people got from his preaching was the result of God’s work, not his
own talents and abilities.16
to evaluate your life and don’t be afraid to admit your weaknesses.
Then, let God be strong in those areas.
In what areas do you feel especially weak as a believer? What would
happen if you tried to tackle those issues on your own? How can
NOTES
God use them to radiate His strength and glory through you? Write
your answers below.
PAGE 43
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WEEK TWO: DAY FIVE
For many Christians, Philippians 4:13 stands out as a familiar verse.
WHATEVER NEEDS TO BE DONE
Some have even made it their “life verse,” expressing hope that God
KEY SCRIPTURE PASSAGE: PHILIPPIANS 4:13
will use them to do great things. A word of caution: It’s very easy to
focus on the “do all things” and forget
the “through Him who strengthens
“AS WE LEARN TO
RELY ON GOD’S
STRENGTH, WE CAN
BE CONTENT IN ANY
SITUATION.”
What did you want to be when you were younger? You might have
me.” In fact, when Paul wrote these
dreamed of being a movie star, a professional athlete, or even the
words, he wasn’t even talking about
president.
the power to accomplish a goal or
When I was a kid, I always wanted to be a writer, so I guess some
dream. He was talking about being content in every situation and
dreams do come true.
trusting God to provide for every need (Philippians 4:12).
What do you want to be now? Have things changed? How are you
That’s really to key to understanding Philippians 4:13. As we learn to
moving toward your goals? Write your answers below.
rely on God’s strength, we can be content in any situation and can
trust Him to work through us to complete His purposes.
In reality, we don’t have a lot to offer God, but what we do have is
exactly what He wants—our lives. We simply offer Him all we have
You might have been told that you could be anything you wanted to
and trust Him to make the most of it. That’s an important truth to
be or could do whatever you wanted to do. To be honest, though,
remember as you prepare for this mission trip. God is the source of
that’s not completely true. There are some things you won’t be able
your strength and the One who produces results in your ministry.
to do for one reason or another. Hard work will take you far in life,
You might wonder if you can radiate light and peace and love to
but life has a way of changing your plans and your directions. For
people who do not know Christ, but He’s already promised you that
Christians, it’s important that we turn our lives in the direction that
you can . . . through Him who strengthens you.
God wants us to go so we become the people He has created us to
be all along.
What does it look like to rely on God’s strength instead of your own
READ PHILIPPIANS 4:13.
power? Write your response below.
Paul specifically told the Philippian Christians that they could do
anything. That’s because when we’re following God’s plan and doing
it God’s way, we can accomplish anything He calls us to do.
PAGE 45
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What steps can you take right now that will make that a reality on
WEEK THREE: DAY ONE
your mission trip?
NO HIDING!
Who is your favorite superhero? Who is his or her true identity?
What does he or she do to hide his or her real identity? Write your
answers below.
ACTION POINT:
You’ve spent time this week learning that God is the only true source
of light for a dark world. Below or in your journal, create an acrostic
using the word “Light.” Use the letters in “Light” to identify words
or phrases that will help you remember to rely on God as your pre-
If you happened to see “The Avengers” (or the movies leading up
pare for your trip.
to that blockbuster), you might have noticed something that sets this
group of comic book icons apart from heroes of the past: None of
L
them hide their true identity.
I
Everyone knows that Ironman is really Tony Stark and that Captain
America is really Steve Rogers. Thor doesn’t hide who he is (as if he
G
could!) and no one tries to keep Bruce Banner and the Hulk under
H
wraps. Sure, Hawkeye and Black Widow have cool nicknames, but
T
they’ll answer to “Clint” and “Natasha” just as easily.
This lack of a secret identity represents a break from our traditional
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PAGE 47
idea about superheroes. Crime fighters like Batman, Spiderman and
Superman don’t go around letting everyone know who they really
are. That would be too dangerous for one reason or another. So, they
do everything they can to keep their identities a secret. Bruce Wayne
and Peter Parker put on masks to protect themselves and Clark Kent
does his best to act like an ordinary citizen when he is anything but
ordinary. For them, a good disguise makes all the difference.
PAGE 48
Do you sometimes wear a disguise of your own? Do you feel the
without any hint of disguise or falsehood. Your passion has to be
need to hide certain areas of your life? Write your responses below.
fueled by a motivation to do what’s right and to share His light with
people living in darkness. Hiding behind a mask means you’re holding
out something from God. It’s time to get real.
That’s a tall order, but it is extremely important. Examine your life
Disguises can be fun for some things, but they also can be dangerous
in other settings. In today’s devotion passage, the apostle Paul told
the Corinthians about a disguise that creates a world of chaos. Satan,
the archenemy of God, has no problem resorting to any means or
disguise necessary to hide the truth of God’s love. He distorts what is
and light. We must be absorbing God’s light in order to radiate it out
to others. If we’re absorbing Satan false “light” (i.e. darkness) then
our lives radiate darkness instead of light and truth. How much of
His light are you letting into your life each day through Bible study,
prayer and fellowship with other believers? How can you let in more
of God’s light? Write your ideas below.
good and disguises what is evil to make it look pleasing. Paul said that
Satan even appears as “angel of light” to make his deception more
appealing, but his lies only lead to pain and destruction. If we don’t
know what God’s light looks like, we can be deceived by the disguise
Commit to letting in more light each day. Your effectiveness on the
used by the dark “angel of light.”
mission field and in your everyday life at home depends on being
This week’s devotions are going to focus on the nature of God’s light
genuine.
and some of the pitfalls and distractions that can dim His light in
our lives.
Read John 8:44-45. What do these verses say about Satan’s nature?
“HIDING BEHIND A MASK
MEANS YOU’RE HOLDING OUT
SOMETHING FROM GOD. IT’S
TIME TO GET REAL.”
Today’s verses empha-
What did Jesus call the devil?
size the importance of
integrity. God’s light
is genuine and pure.
It includes no hint of falsehood or deception. God is not an angel
When have you fallen for one of Satan’s disguises? How do you pro-
of light, He is light! He expects His people to accurately reflect and
tect yourself from them?
radiate that light. That means learning how to come clean and living
with integrity as His follower. Your life needs to be genuine and pure
PAGE 49
PAGE 50
ACTION POINT:
WEEK THREE: DAY TWO
One of the most creative looks at the deceptions of Satan and his
evil army is found in C.S. Lewis’ book, “The Screwtape Letters.” In
the book, Lewis shares “letters” written by an older demon (named
Screwtape) to his young apprentice (Wormwood). Before you leave
for the mission field, consider reading the book and journal what you
learn about Satan and the way he tries to deceive human beings.
LIGHT WINS!
Two solid objects cannot occupy the same space at the same time.
That’s a scientific fact, but your common sense can back it up. For
example, think about musical chairs. Two people walking around one
chair. When the music stops, one of the players claims the seat. The
other usually ends up in the winner’s lap or on the floor.
DID YOU KNOW?
The word “Satan” comes from the Hebrew word for “adversary.” Old
Testament writers often used it as a common name to refer to human
enemies, but it also has been translated as a proper noun (like a title)
to identify the evil angelic being who stands against the work of God in
the world.18
Or think about two cars pulling up to an intersection, one turning
right and one turning left. If they aren’t careful to obey the rules of
the road, their front ends might end up trying to occupy the same
spot on the street at the same time. When that happens, fenders get
bent and insurance companies get a call.
NOTES
What other examples can you identify of two solid objects trying
to occupy the same space at the same time? Can you think of any
examples that don’t end in a mess?
Now, let me throw another example at you: light and darkness. While
these are not solid objects, it doesn’t take much to understand that
light and dark cannot occupy the same space at the same time. In
fact, by its very definition, light really has no relationship with darkness at all. They are about as opposite as two things can get. Where
one exists, the other can’t be found.
READ JOHN 1:5.
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PAGE 52
“NO MATTER HOW
DEEP OR THICK
THE DARKNESS
SEEMS, GOD’S
LIGHT IS ALWAYS
STRONGER.”
This scientific principle carries over into
ACTION POINT:
the spiritual realm, as well. Where spiri-
Light not only overwhelms darkness, but it reveals what has been
tual light is introduced, spiritual dark-
going on in the darkness. You might hear the storm outside at night,
ness disappears. Light replaces darkness
but you can’t see the real damage until the sun rises. This week, think
and, according to John 1:5, can never be
about your own life. What has been going on in the dark corners of
overcome by darkness. When has there
your heart and mind? Ask God to shine His light in your life and to
been a time in your life when God’s light has dispelled darkness in
reveal your sin so you can confess it and root it out of your life.
your thoughts or behavior? Write your response below.
DID YOU KNOW?
You already know that on the international mission field you might
The contrast between “light” and “darkness” is a favorite literary tool of
the Gospel writer John. He relied on it not only in the Gospel of John,
but also used it to shape the three letters he wrote (1, 2, 3 John). Read
through those brief letters two or three times this week and note how—
and why—John used the images of light and dark.
face a wide variety of “dark” situations. Remember that no matter
how deep or thick the darkness seems, God’s light is always stronger.
John wrote that God’s light shines where there is darkness, and dark-
NOTES
ness can’t do a thing to stop it.
Of course, that doesn’t mean that everyone with whom you share
the Gospel will accept Christ immediately. It does mean that if you
are faithful to share, you will introduce something that has the power
to transform lives in God’s timing. As you radiate Christ, He will use
your witness to change the world. You may not see the harvest, but
you can rest assured that the seeds have been planted. QUESTIONS TO PONDER:
In what ways are you radiating God’s light right now? What can you
do between now and the time you leave for your mission trip to radiate His light more effectively?
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WEEK THREE: DAY THREE
COMING CLEAN
How would you react if God showed up during your prayer time the
way He showed up for Isaiah?
READ ISAIAH 6:1-7.
If you read through the biblical accounts of people who came
Things had sunk to a pretty low point for the people of Judah. The
face-to-face with God (especially in the Old Testament), you’ll see
nation had experienced some good times under the reign of King
that Isaiah’s reaction was pretty typical. He fell on his face and he
Uzziah, but as he became more powerful, he also became more arro-
confessed his sin. Instead of getting pumped up about seeing God,
gant. For example, instead of letting the priests do their job, Uzziah
he considered himself “ruined” because of his “unclean lips” and the
tried himself to present an incense offering to the Lord in the temple
unclean lips of his people.
which was basically against the rules God had established for worship
Isaiah understood one thing: When people are confronted with the
(2 Chronicles 26:16-18).
glory of God—when they see Him as He really is and not as they
The priests rebuked the king and Uzziah got mad. In the end,
want Him to be—they realize just how sinful they are. They recog-
though, God was the referee. He struck Uzziah with a skin disease
nize His holiness and their unworthiness. Then, like Isaiah, they feel
(possibly leprosy) that left him unclean and unfit to enter the temple
compelled to confess their shortcomings and beg for God’s forgive-
again for the rest of his life. He lived in exile and had to let his son
ness. That’s another characteristic of God’s light. It reveals our sin,
run the day-to-day operations of the kingdom (2 Chronicles 26:19-21).
convicts us to come clean and moves us to seek forgiveness.
In the wake of the turmoil that surrounded Uzziah’s life and death,
This truth has two implications for you as you get ready for your
the prophet Isaiah found himself in the temple. He encountered God
mission adventure. First, you have to come clean yourself. This can
that day—a real life encounter that left him shaken and confused.
be painful and difficult, but it’s incredibly necessary. Seek God with
Isaiah would never be the same.
all your heart. Stop painting Him in colors that fit your preferences.
How did Isaiah react to seeing God?
Clean out those dark corners and walk in His light. Let Him be who
He is . . . and find forgiveness in that.
Second, remember that you can’t convict anyone of anything. Sure,
you will meet people on your trip who need to feel God’s conviction,
but you can’t force His conviction on them. You can’t manipulate
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PAGE 56
them. You can be an instrument in that process. As you radiate God’s
WEEK THREE: DAY FOUR
love and compassion, others will see Him in a genuine way that leads
DRESSED UP
to conviction. Let Christ radiate through you and lead others to
“come clean” through your witness.
KEY SCRIPTURE PASSAGE: ROMANS 13:11-12
In his classic short story, “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” Danish
What’s hiding in the dark corners of your life? In what areas do you
writer Hans Christian Andersen warned his readers about the dangers
need to “come clean” before God? What’s keeping you from that?
of pride and arrogance. In this tale, a pompous emperor tried to
Write your answers below.
be the most stylish leader around. In pursuit of haute couture, he
succumbed to the lies of two swindlers. Claiming to be tailors, they
promised the emperor a new set of clothes that would be visible
only to the smartest and most worthy of people. Those who couldn’t
see the clothes were either unworthy of their position or incredibly
ignorant.
In reality, they were paid for noth-
“THE ARROGANCE OF
SELF-SUFFICIENCY
LEAVES US OPEN TO
ATTACK AND FAILURE.”
ACTION POINT:
ing at all. They just went through
Work with some of your team members to create a “light workout.”
the motions and pretended to dress
Identify some “exercises” your group can do to hold each other
the king in the new royal trap-
accountable, avoid temptation, confess sin and receive forgiveness.
pings. When the king realized he couldn’t see the new clothes, he was
Commit to exercising regularly.
afraid his “blindness” meant either he was not worthy to be emperor
or he was an idiot and his pride got the best of him. To avoid the
awful truth, He acted like he was wearing the greatest garments ever
made—even though he was naked before the world. His officials,
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PAGE 57
afraid of being unworthy, went along with the deception and praised
the new outfit.
Even the emperor’s subjects were pulled into the lie. As the emperor
led a parade through the town, the entire city applauded the clothes
that really weren’t there—except for one little child, who wisely pro-
PAGE 58
claimed, “But he hasn’t got anything on.” Eventually, the whole town
(and the emperor himself) had to admit the child was right. Their
pride had left the emperor open to public embarrassment and had
taught everyone a lesson about the dangers of pride.
If you were one of the emperor’s subjects, would have you fallen for
the deception? Why or why not?
self-sufficiency leaves us open to attack and failure.
So, as your departure date for the mission field draws near, begin
thinking about your packing list. You’ll have guidelines about shirts
and shoes and such, but don’t forget to take your armor. Make sure
you’re dressed up for the job God has given you to accomplish.
What do you think it means to put on God’s armor of light? What
What are some other areas in your life where pride has taken the
place of truth and humility? Where are you pretending to be more
are some actions you can take that will keep you from the danger of
pride?
“dressed” than you are?
ACTION POINT:
READ ROMANS 13:11-12.
Today is your “prayerwalk” day for this week. You’ve already focused
on your neighborhood and your church, so this week’s emphasis is
In today’s devotion passage, Paul wrote with a special urgency about
on your government leaders. Spend some time walking around the
something we’ve talked about lot about lately—the need for believers
government buildings in your city and/or county. Pray that these
to wake up and start sharing Christ with the world. He also reminded
leaders have the wisdom to lead with humility (unlike the emperor
the Romans that the battle against darkness requires a special set of
in Andersen’s fairy tale). Research the primary leaders in your host
armor. If we’re going to radiate God’s light, we need to be dressed
country and pray for them, too. Ask God to do a work in their lives
in “the armor of light” (v. 12). We need to put on God’s protection
that can change the course of that nation.
and rely on Him to carry us through the challenges we will face as we
share the Gospel.
DID YOU KNOW?
That’s another important characteristic of God’s light—it offers protection when we embrace it. When we try to accomplish God’s tasks
without submitting to Him and putting on His armor, we adopt an
arrogance that outstrips even the naked emperor. The arrogance of
PAGE 59
Romans 13 is not the only passage where Paul talked about Christians
wearing armor. In his letter to the Ephesians, he listed some very specific pieces of armor that need to be part of a believer’s wardrobe. This
week, memorize Ephesians 6:10-20 and ask God to help you apply
these truths to your mission trip and your life.
PAGE 60
WEEK THREE: DAY FIVE
A couple of days ago, we talked about Isaiah and the struggles his
THE HOPE OF DAWN
people experienced in the days following King Uzziah’s death. If
KEY SCRIPTURE PASSAGE: ISAIAH 9:2
you read all of Isaiah 6, you’ll notice that God wasn’t going to wave
His hand and make things magically better. Isaiah preached, but the
people ignored him until, eventually, God sent judgment on them
In 2009, I spent two weeks working with a great group of missionaries in the Philippines, sharing the Gospel with high school and col-
(Isaiah 6:8-13).
lege students. It was a great experience, and I built some friendships
READ ISAIAH 9:2.
that I continue to treasure today.
God also wanted His people to know that things wouldn’t always be
I’ve got to be honest, though. The trip wasn’t all glory and praise.
so dismal. In other words, God was going to bring dawn to their very
In fact, for the first several days of the trip, I had trouble sleeping. I
long, very dark night. In Isaiah 9:2, the prophet spoke of a people
don’t know if it was jet lag or homesickness or demonic attacks (or
in darkness finally experiencing light. Like the sunrise that follows a
some combination of all those), but it was rough going for a while.
long, painful night, hope would dawn in the “land of darkness.” They
When my head hit the pillow, my eyes would pop open and my mind
would be down for awhile, but they were not out. Hope was coming
would start racing. The more I told myself I had to get some sleep,
for them, and those verses point to the hope that eventually came for
the harder it was to fall asleep.
“WHERE GOD’S
LIGHT SHINES,
HOPE GROWS.”
As you might expect, that made for some very long nights and exhausting days. Even though I knew I would be tired during the day, I
all of us in the person of Jesus Christ. He
has broken the bonds of darkness forever.
We’ve talked a lot this week about the charac-
just couldn’t wait for those first rays of sunlight to break over Manila
teristics of God’s light. It’s genuine, and it can never be overwhelmed
and chase away the night. Things got better during the second half
by darkness. It’s pure and it offers protection. Now, you can add
of the trip, but those first few days required a lot of prayer and a lot
“hopeful” to that list. Where God’s light shines, hope grows.
of dependence on God’s strength to get me through.
You should realize that truth from firsthand experience. There was
When have you experienced a really long night? What words would
a time when you were hopeless, lost in darkness. When you came to
you use to describe your feelings when the sun finally rose?
Christ, He transformed you through His light. He provided hope
where it had been missing before. Now you’re a few weeks away from
radiating that light and hope to folks who need hope in Christ. The
people walking in darkness in the country you are about to visit will
see the great light of God’s love radiating from you.
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Put your hope for this trip (and your life) in Him. Then, radiate the
WEEK FOUR: DAY ONE
power of God’s light and love every chance you get.
NECESSARY PARTS
How does God give you hope? How can your personal experience of
hope help you share the light with others? Write your answer below.
What body part would you be most willing to give up? Why?
Hopefully, you didn’t name something like an ear or an eye, and I’m
ACTION POINT:
trusting that you held on to your hands and feet. If you’re wise, you
International World Changers will be sending teams to countries all
probably went with something like your tonsils or your appendix—
over the world this summer. You can find a list of this summer’s proj-
something that can be removed without much fuss and with little
ects by visiting imbstudents.org/iwcprojects. Pray for any team
effect on your life going forward.
that’s on mission this week and continue to pray for teams on the
A few years ago, my daughter was having terrible stomach pains. We
field throughout the summer schedule. (Hint: If you’re on one of the
couldn’t figure out what was wrong until she ended up in the emer-
first team’s going out this summer, pray for the next team on the list
gency room of our local children’s hospital. That’s where a group of
as those IWCers prepare to serve.)
really smart doctors figured out that she had appendicitis and needed
emergency surgery to remove her appendix.
To be honest, I’m not sure what the appendix does, but I do know
DID YOU KNOW?
Even at night, God ha
s provided light through
the moon and the
stars. In Philippians 2,
Paul challenged the be
liev
ers in Philippi
to embrace the humility
of Christ (vv. 1-11) and
to
live out their
faith in the “a crooked
and perverted generat
ion
”
(v.
15). Why?
So they could “shine like
stars in the world.” Be
a
sta
r! Shine in
your world in the mids
t of the darkness!
two things about it. First, if it gets infected, a patient can have serious
problems, or even die if his appendix ruptures. Second, there are no
real drawbacks to having your appendix removed. My daughter has
never missed her appendix and you’d never know she didn’t have one
just by looking at her. In fact, since no one knows for sure what it
does and no one seems to miss it when it’s gone, many folks consider
the appendix a useless body part.
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PAGE 64
When have you felt like an appendix in the body of life? (I.e., when
together to fulfill its purpose—telling the world about Jesus. There
have you felt like you weren’t all that important?) Write your thoughts
are no unnecessary parts in the body of Christ.
below.
In other words, you are not a “spiritual appendix.” No one is! While
the human body can function just fine without an appendix, the body
of Christ needs everyone to live up to its potential and to complete
the Great Commission (See Matthew 28:18-20).
So, what does all this have to do with your mission trip? Quite simple,
“WHAT WE FEEL
ISN’T ALWAYS
AN ACCURATE
MEASURE OF
REALITY.”
If you’ve ever felt worthless, unappreciated,
really. During the past few weeks, you’ve been working, praying and
or useless, you’re not alone. We’ve all had
planning with members of your team. Over the next few weeks,
those moments when we want to throw our
you’ll finish training with them and get on a plane. On the field, you’ll
hands up in the air and ask, “What’s the
be working with missionaries and other believers from your host
point? Does anyone really care?” Everyone
nation, and you’ll be building on the foundations laid by many other
goes through times when we can’t seem to do anything right or please
believers who have gone before you. What’s more, you’ll be laying the
anyone around us. That’s just part of being human. We’ve got to
groundwork for missionaries, local Christians and even other mission
remember that what we feel isn’t always an accurate measure of real-
teams who will follow you. In other words, the body will be at work
ity. The key thing to remember in those dark times is that God has
all around you, before you ever arrived on the mission field and long
chosen you specifically to be His child. He has radiated His love into
after you leave.
your life for a purpose, so your life matters in the grand scheme. God
intends for Christians to love each other like He loves us20 so we will
always know how much we are loved and so non-believers will see
how much God loves them.
It’s important to remember that you never walk (or work) alone. This
week’s devotions will focus on the relationship you share with other
Christians and how that relationship should affect the way you minister to unbelievers. You can start by recognizing that God has loved
To illustrate the way believers should relate to one another, Paul
pointed to the human body. He said that every Christian was a part
of Christ’s body and that all the parts had a role to play to keep the
body healthy. Just as different parts of the human body work to-
you with an everlasting love which means you are definitely not an
unnecessary part of God’s plan. Then, radiate that same love to those
Christians around you so they remember how much God loves them,
too. That love between Christians will make non-Christians hungry
for God’s love.
gether to make things happen, the different parts of the church work
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Read verse 18 again. Who placed the parts of the body in their specific places? How did He place them in the body?
DID YOU KNOW?
While you might sometimes struggle with feeling inferior, the
Corinthians actually thought they were superior to everyone else
and looked down on their brothers and sisters in Christ. That’s
why Paul emphasized the importance of each member in the body
and he devoted the next section of his letter to loving one another
(1 Corinthians 13). He points out in 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 that the
most spectacular gifts and abilities mean nothing if they aren’t
motivated by love. What motivates your ministry?
Why is this significant to understanding how the body is supposed to
work?
NOTES
ACTION POINT:
You’re going to be serving with some great fellow believers, but other
members of the body won’t be able to join you. They may have work
commitments or physically be unable to make the trip. For whatever
reason, they can’t go, but they might be eager to pray for you. Enlist
at least five “prayer partners” from outside your team. Share some
special requests and concerns you have regarding the trip and keep
them in the loop with how your preparation takes shape. While you’re
at it, promise to pray for them as well. List your prayer partners
below.
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WEEK FOUR: DAY TWO
During the evening, He taught them about servanthood (John 13:12-
SHOW YOUR COLORS
17) and the work of the Holy Spirit (John 14:15-18). He taught them
to depend on Him the way a branch depends on the vine to stay alive
(John 15:1-8). Most of all, He taught them about love (John 13:34-35;
15:9-17).
I’m a big sports fan. In fact, I’ll watch all kinds of sports, everything
from football and baseball to soccer and swimming. I’m not sure how
In today’s devotion verses, Jesus referred to a “new command” to
much I would enjoy watching games, though, if the players didn’t
“love one another.” In reality, the command wasn’t all that new, but
wear uniforms that help me distinguish one team from the other.
Jesus was putting a renewed emphasis on the way believers love one
another. He knew that love for each other would help them stand
For example, sometimes I’ll watch an international soccer game, but,
strong through the trials they would face. He also knew that love
to be honest, I don’t know very many (if any) of the players involved.
would motivate them to reach out to people who needed to know
I can still enjoy the game, though, because I can tell the difference be-
His offer of salvation.
tween the two teams. At some point, I might even develop a rooting
interest in the “team wearing blue” or the “players in red.” Without
Love also would show the world that Christians have something dif-
the uniforms, they’d just be another bunch of men or women run-
ferent. The team “color” of Christians is love. Love sets them apart
ning around a court or field. With the uniforms, they have an identity.
from the “typical” old religions and makes Christ and His teachings
They are a team.
seem much more desirable. Jesus knew that the best evangelism
“technique” his followers could use would be simply to love each
What’s your favorite team? How does that team’s uniform or team
other. That kind of love would radiate warmth, inclusiveness and
colors help you be a better fan?
compassion, drawing people in like a moth to a light. In a very real
way, love would serve as the uniform for His followers. More than
anything else, love would make them a “team” and provide them with
a captivating identity.
READ JOHN 13:34-35.
On the night before He was crucified, Jesus had one final meeting
with his disciples. Even though His heart was heavy from thinking
about the terrible things that awaited Him, He wanted to prepare
them for His last days on earth and the early days of the church.
PAGE 69
As you move closer toward your mission trip, you can take away a lot
from what Jesus taught His disciples that evening. You can benefit
from learning to be a servant and from knowing how to follow the
Spirit’s leading. You can experience incredible blessings by depending
on Jesus the way a branch depends on a vine. Above all, though, what
PAGE 70
the world really wants to see—including the people in your host na-
WEEK FOUR: DAY THREE
tion—is if you really love your brothers and sisters in Christ.
PARTNERS OF LIGHT
Love will make all the difference in how they perceive the Jesus you
have come to tell them about. They understand that if you can love
KEY SCRIPTURE PASSAGE: PHILIPPIANS 1:3-7
one another, you can love them. If you radiate Christ’s love to them,
Think about some of the great partnerships in books and movies:
they will be hungry to experience the love of Christ in their lives.
Batman and Robin, Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer, Katniss and Peeta.
What other famous partnerships can you name? List a few below.
Whom do you find hard to love? Why? What are you planning to do
about it in light of today’s passage? Write your ideas below.
Now, think about the people you have partnered with at times in your
life—in a three-legged race or for a class project, for instance. Now
here’s a question for you: What spelled the difference between suc-
ACTION POINT:
cess and failure in your partnership?
This week, plan an intentional fellowship time with your mission
Partnerships can be tricky things because they are two-way streets. If
team members. It can relate to your mission if you want, but it also
one person dominates the partnership, it’s not really a partnership.
can simply be a fun time to be together. Make the most of that time
Both sides of the arrangement have to work together and share the
and learn to love each other well. Write your plans below.
load for the partnership to really work. If you get stuck doing all the
work for a school assignment, your grade might suffer (not to mention your attitude).
When have you been caught in a partnership that was one-sided?
DID YOU KNOW?
Were you the partner that shouldered the work, or the one who
Some scholars have noted a similarity between Jesus’ words to love
one another (John 13:34) and Moses’ command to love God with all
we have and to love others as we love ourselves (Deuteronomy 6:5).
flaked out?
What does it means for you to love God with all you are? To love
others as Jesus has loved you?
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What was the result of the work you were trying to accomplish?
The principle of partnership is still going strong today. We become
partners with other believers when we radiate love into their lives.
That could mean mentoring a younger believer, encouraging a peer,
or meeting the need of an older saint. When we partner with others,
READ PHILIPPIANS 1:3-7.
The apostle Paul met and ministered to a lot of people during his
missionary journeys, but he never really worked alone. Most of the
time, he had a partner like Barnabas or Silas or Timothy. Even during
his darkest days, the days leading up to his execution, he wrote about
wanting someone to come and spend time with him (2 Timothy
4:9-13). Certainly if someone like Paul wanted and needed partners
in ministry, we also definitely need partners we can count on. God
doesn’t intend that any of us be a “Lone Ranger Christian,” though
their ministry becomes a part of our ministry.
Once you hit the mission field, you may be surrounded by people
you’ve known most of your life or with fellow believers you’ve just
met. You might be on a crew with friends and also with “strangers.”
You are all brothers and sisters in Christ, whether you’ve know each
other for years or just met yesterday. I encourage you to also view
them as partners—partners in fulfilling God’s incredible task of
radiating His love to the world. And partners share the work load on
the road to victory.
maybe that’s a misnomer anyway because even the Lone Ranger had
After all, no one succeeds unless everyone succeeds. Your ability to
Tonto.
partner with your teammates will go a long way toward defining the
Paul also created partnerships within the local congregations. He
knew that they would be the ones who would carry on the work after
he left, so their partnership in the Gospel was incredibly important.
Paul wanted them to know how much he appreciated their partnership in God’s work.
success of your mission.
What do you expect from your partners on this mission trip? What
are you willing to let them expect from you? Write your thoughts
below.
That’s what he was trying to tell the Philippians in today’s devotion
verses. Every time he thought of the believers in Philippi, he thanked
God for them. He prayed for them and for the ministry they were
performing as partners in the Gospel. What’s more, he assured them
that God would continue to use them for the rest of their lives.
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What will define success or victory for you and your ministry partners on this mission?
WEEK FOUR: DAY FOUR
LIGHT LINEUP
KEY SCRIPTURE PASSAGE: MARK 10:35-45
One recent Sunday morning, I had the chance to work in my church’s
children’s ministry, corralling some very active preschoolers as they
ACTION POINT:
learned about Jesus. I’m not sure I’m cut out to perform that task ev-
On your mission trip, you will also partner with believers in your host
ery Sunday, but it was fun the day I did it. Plus, those children helped
country. One way you can strengthen that partnership is to make
me remember a very important life lesson: We all like to be first.
sure you’re speaking the same language—at least to a certain point.
Find out what phrases would be helpful for you to learn in the native
This life lesson became most apparent when we lined up to go to the
tongue of your host country. Work on memorizing those phrases so
indoor playground. Several of the children (mostly energetic boys)
you can use them on the field in a few weeks. “Hello, how are you?”
jockeyed for the prized position of “line leader.” Once the actual
and “Thank you” are two good places to start.
leader was picked, the others did their best to get as close to the front
of the line as they could. Why? Because we all like to be first.
In what sort of line do you seek to be first these days?
DID YOU KNOW?
The drive to be first isn’t anything new. The young boys in my
Paul’s experiences in Philippi might explain why the Christians there
held such a special place in his heart. He established a church after
witnessing to some women near a river and later, he cast out a demon
in a servant girl, which landed him in jail. After a late-night praise gathering in jail, the Lord sent a powerful earthquake which led to the salvation of the jailer and his family (See Acts 16:11-34 for the full story).
preschool group didn’t invent the idea. It’s been around since the beginning of time. In fact, you can get a pretty vivid picture of it from
today’s devotional passage.
READ MARK 10:35-45.
The disciples—the guys who had been hanging around Jesus every
day for the better part of three years—were bickering with one an-
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other. Can you guess the source
of their argument? Yep . . . they
each wanted to be first! James
and John started the ruckus, but
“JESUS SAID THAT OUR
BEST WITNESSING TOOL
WILL BE TO LOVE EACH
OTHER AS HE LOVED US.”
it wasn’t long before the rest of
the disciples joined in the general grumpiness.
have had some negative personal experience with believers.
To break those stereotypes, you have to be different. One way you
can be different is to radiate the kind of genuine servanthood with
other believers that’s only possible with the power Jesus Christ. You
have to show them that the Gospel has substance because it allows
you to love others, even if it means you don’t get to be first. Remem-
That’s when Jesus gently—but firmly—reminded them that they
ber, Jesus said that our best witnessing tool will be to love each other
weren’t supposed to be worried about privileges and titles. They were
as He loved us (John 13:34-35). Seeing your mission team genuinely
supposed to be learning how to serve others. If they were going to
radiate lives of humility and service and putting others first will make
jockey for a position in line, it should be for the last spot! He had
non-Christians want to have that kind of love in their lives.
come to serve, even to the point of giving His life as a ransom for
the world and they were to do likewise.
When you hit the mission field, you might be tempted to bicker and
How can your willingness to submit to the authority of your lead-
fuss—with your co-workers, your leaders, the missionaries, even the
ers and to the missionaries in your host country show others that
residents of your host country. You might think you know the best
Jesus is real?
way to do something because it’s the way your church or student
group does it—or it’s the way Americans do it (And we’re always
right, aren’t we?). You may feel the urge to be first. Don’t give in to
those ungodly urges. Think about what that kind of contention radiates: selfishness, arrogance, discontent. Those aren’t the characteristics of Christ. Learn to radiate servanthood.
Just like many folks in America, the people to whom you will be min-
How can the love you show to your team members radiate Christ to
those who don’t know Him?
istering in your host country probably have some pretty definite ideas
about Christians. They may have heard stories about Christ followers. Parents in Tanzania, East Africa, for example, used to tell their
children to avoid missionaries and Christians because they would
kidnap them and eat them.21 Or the people of your host country may
PAGE 77
PAGE 78
ACTION POINT:
WEEK FOUR: DAY FIVE
LIGHT LIFTS
This is your prayerwalk day for this week. Spend some time prayerwalking through a local mall or shopping center. Pay attention to
the people you see and observe the needs they may have. Ask God
to make you sensitive to those concerns. Also, look for things that
remind you of your host nation and then pray for the people on the
field whom you will meet in just a few days.
DID YOU KNOW? s not the first dispute the disciples had
rk 10 wa
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The account in Ma
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KEY SCRIPTURE PASSAGE: HEBREWS 3:12-14
Meghan Vogel was a state champion. She had already earned a medal
as Ohio’s best female runner in the 1,600 meters. She really had nothing else to prove.
Except that some things in life are more important than medals and
state titles.
After her 1,600-meter victory at the 2012 Ohio State Track Championships, Vogel also ran in the girl’s 3,200-meter race. She was out of
contention for a medal and moving toward the end of the race when
an opposing runner, Arden McMath, collapsed just 20 feet from the
NOTES
finish line. Instead of sprinting past the fallen runner and improving
her place among the finishers, Vogel stopped and helped McMath to
her feet. They crossed the finished together. Sort of.
Vogel actually allowed McMath to cross the line ahead of her because
that was their position when McMath collapsed. Since race officials
refused to disqualify either girl, McMath finished 14th, while Vogel
ended up 15th (and last).
“Helping her across the finish line was a lot more satisfying than winning the state championship,” Vogel said when asked about her act of
sportsmanship.22
When have you seen that kind of concern by one person toward
another?
PAGE 79
PAGE 80
at your disposal is your ability to encourage and love those people.
Modeling love by lifting up others speaks volumes to a lost and dying
world.
When have you expressed that kind of sacrificial concern for someone else?
Let’s face it . . . we’re all in a race, just like Meghan Vogel—a race
against time. Our time to encourage others is limited, as is our time
to share the Gospel before Jesus returns. The only way anyone finishes that race strongly is for each of us to encourage those around
us. Megan Vogel took advantage of an opportunity to help someone
else. She didn’t miss the chance to encourage another runner. The
time and place she lost were nothing compared to the joy and honor
How can you encourage someone on your team between now and
she received for one selfless act toward another person.
the time you leave for the mission field? What might tempt you to
The writer of Hebrews understood the importance of encouragement. In today’s devotion passage, that writer emphasized that believ-
withhold that encouragement? Write below the person’s name and
your plan to encourage him or her.
ers have a responsibility to encourage one another daily. We don’t
need to wait around--we need to do it today!
READ HEBREWS 3:12-14.
ACTION POINT:
The old saying reminds us that “there’s no time like the present” and
Identify several ways you can radiate God’s light this week to a fellow
that’s especially true when it comes to building up our brothers and
Christian who is not on your mission team. It could be a church staff
sisters in Christ. If we truly live in the light of Christ as we claim and
member, a friend from school, or anyone else who crosses your path.
really want to radiate His light for the world to see (at home and on
Just don’t put it off. Remember . . . today is the day!
the mission trip), we have no excuse for waiting to encourage others.
We can’t afford to let anything get in the way or hold us back.
DID YOU KNOW?
sion experience. Understand that one of the greatest evangelism tools
Little is really known about the Epistle to the Hebrews such as the date
it was written and who actually wrote it. One thing that is clear is the
letter’s message that Jesus Christ is superior to every challenger and
that Christians have a responsibility to live differently because of their
relationship with Him.23
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PAGE 82
We’ve talked a lot this week about focusing on the relationship you
share with the other Christians you will encounter during your mis-
WEEK FIVE: DAY ONE
PURE LIGHT
One of my favorite old movies is a comedy called “Arsenic and Old
Lace.” In the story, a young newspaper columnist named Mortimer is
finally ready to tie the knot with the beautiful girl next door . . . until
he discovers a disturbing twist in his family tree.
My guess is that you would pass on their offer. After all, even a little
bit of poison can kill a person, and you wouldn’t want to end up buried in their basement! You would only accept a drink that you knew
was 100 percent free of poison, wanting whatever you put in your
body to be as pure as possible.
That being the case, why are we sometimes surprised that Jesus requires the same thing from us? After all, we learned last week that we
are a part of His body. It only makes sense that He wants the parts
of His body to be as pure as possible. Yet we sometimes think that a
It seems that Mortimer’s elderly aunts (with whom he lives) have
little impurity is OK as long as we don’t get carried away. In fact, we
a bad habit of killing off lonely, elderly men. While the first man
can rationalize a lot of things by simply waving our hands and think-
who died at their house was a victim of natural causes, his peaceful
ing, “Just a little won’t hurt this time.”
demeanor after death convinced them that they could “help” other
gentlemen in similar situations by adding a little poison (arsenic) to
their drinks. By the time Mortimer discovers what his aunts have
Jesus begs to differ, and that’s what Paul was trying to explain to the
Corinthian believers in today’s devotion passage.
been doing, they’ve already buried a dozen men in their basement.
Needless to say, Mortimer is beside himself. His aunts’ behavior—
While we live in this world and are called to engage our culture with
along with a cousin who thinks he’s Teddy Roosevelt and the appear-
God’s truth, the light of purity to which God calls us will often be
ance of a homicidal brother—are enough to make him wonder if he
in great contrast to the values of the world. Paul emphasized that we
needs to marry anyone! Fortunately, it all works out in the end, but I
are called to be different. That’s the only way we can radiate light in a
don’t want to spoil it for you by sharing too many details.
dark world.
Still, Mortimer’s story raises an interesting question: Exactly how
Last week, we talked about how
much poison does it take to make a drink dangerous? Mortimer’s
we relate to other believers. This
aunts have a special formula that does the trick for their purposes,
week, we’re going to focus on
but what if they offered you a drink with only half the amount of
how we relate to the world. We’re
arsenic they normally would use? What if they only added a small
going to see what a lifestyle of
drop? Would you try it?
light should look like. Purity—
PAGE 83
“THE LIGHT OF PURITY
TO WHICH GOD CALLS
US WILL OFTEN BE IN
GREAT CONTRAST TO
THE VALUES OF THE
WORLD.”
PAGE 84
being different from the world—tops the list.
ACTION POINT:
Clean lights don’t guarantee successful ministry, but it’s sure easier
What are you going to pack for your trip overseas? In addition to
to see Christ when the lamp isn’t dirty. Try this: get a flashlight and
planning what will go in your suitcase, think about the “baggage”
turn it on in a dark room. Notice how much light you can see. Now,
you don’t want to carry such as bad habits, anger or lust. Make a list
wet the lens of the flashlight and coat it with dirt or mud. Then
below of things you want to leave behind. Ask God to help you es-
turn it on. Now how much light can you see? Our lives are like that
tablish purity as a part of your lifestyle of light—for this mission trip
flashlight. The cleaner (or purer) our lens, the more light that radiates
and for the rest of your life.
from it into the darkness.
Pursuing purity in order to radiate the purity of Christ’s love is not
something we can do successfully on our own. That’s why we have
the Holy Spirit in our lives—to help us have the victory over temptation and sin so our lives radiate the purity of Christ and His love.
People do notice when you live against the grain of your culture. For
your own sake and, most importantly, for the sake of Jesus’ fame
throughout the world, pursue purity in every area of your life.
DID YOU KNOW?
Sometimes we’re tempted think of purity only in terms of sex—
“saving ourselves for marriage.” While that’s incredibly important,
you can be a sexual virgin and still not be pure. You might be
dishonest or unloving. Your speech might be vulgar, or you might
spread gossip or view pornography and think there’s nothing
wrong with that. Don’t define purity so narrowly that it makes you
comfortable with sin. Define it as God defines it in His Word and
let Him help you work through the uncomfortable areas.
If someone asked your friends how well you displayed personal purity, what would they say? What areas might they call into question?
PAGE 85
NOTES
PAGE 86
WEEK FIVE: DAY TWO
WORTH THE SACRIFICE
KEY SCRIPTURE PASSAGE: MATTHEW 10:34-37
to marry). She also wrote about how much she appreciated God’s
redeeming work in her life.
Over time, she developed a passion for missions and went on multiple mission trips to Latin America and Europe. When Operation
Why did you accept Jesus Christ as your Savior? What benefit did you
Desert Storm opened the door to ministry in Iraq, she headed to the
hope to gain from the decision to follow Him? Write your thoughts
Middle East. Her transition included some difficult times, but she
below.
continued to press forward with her humanitarian work—until the
day she died.
Karen and some other missionaries were martyred in Iraq in March
2004. She was 38 years old. The truck they were riding in was at-
If you’re like a lot of believers, you may have never thought about
tacked by unknown gunmen. Karen died at the scene, but the impact
those questions before. If you have taken the time to ponder those
of her life would continue to be felt. That’s because before she left
ideas, you may have admitted that you accepted Christ to escape
for the Middle East, Karen gave her pastor a letter to be opened only
eternal punishment in hell. Or you might have come to Christ think-
in the case of her death. The letter included these thoughts:
ing that He would somehow make all your problems disappear. To
be honest, a lot of Christians think that way. Karen Watson didn’t
happen to be one of them.
“When God calls there are no regrets. . . . I wasn’t called to a place; I was
called to Him. To obey was my objective, to suffer was expected, His glory
my reward . . .” 24
Before she came to Christ, Karen was pretty tough. She ran a pool
hall in her California hometown. She drank. She carried grudges. She
even helped train local police on how to use almost any means necessary to quiet rowdy prison inmates.
Karen Watson understood the connection between faith and surrender and she was willing to follow God’s direction despite the danger.
She radiated compassion and love for the people of the Middle East
whom she served, even though she lived out of a suitcase and never
Once she became a Christian, though, Karen’s heart softened. She
had a permanent home during those years. Karen recognized early
began to journal about the pain she had endured as the victim of a
in her Christian life that Jesus never promised ease and comfort. The
broken home and the death
lifestyle of light is a lifestyle of sacrifice.
of so many people close to
her (including the murder of
the man she was planning
“JESUS NEVER PROMISED
EASE AND COMFORT. THE
LIFESTYLE OF LIGHT IS A
LIFESTYLE OF SACRIFICE.”
PAGE 87
READ MATTHEW 10:34-37.
In today’s passage, Jesus said that believers would need to re-order
PAGE 88
their priorities if they wanted to follow Him. Family might need to
slip a notch or two. Friends might need to move to the back burner.
He talked about carrying a cross, a symbol of death. He talked about
WEEK FIVE: DAY THREE
HUMBLE LIVING
sacrifice.
But He also talked about rewards. Those who were willing to die
In his book “Shantung Compound,” writer and teacher Langdon
to their own desires would find it worth the sacrifice. Just as Karen
Gilkey described life inside a prison camp during the Japanese occu-
Watson noted, obedience and suffering lead to His glory and His
pation of China in World War II. He noted that the social dynamics
reward. of the prisoners often created more problems for the inmates than
the Japanese soldiers who guarded them. Amidst the social decay that
What in life means the most to you? Write your list below.
marked so much of the prison society, Gilkey highlighted one group
as a positive force—a group of missionaries. Even among the several
religious groups that made up compound population, he noted that
What would it mean to sacrifice those things to Christ?
ACTION POINT:
Karen Watson pointed out that she had not been called to a place,
but to a person: Jesus Christ. While you are heading to a particular
these missionaries operated at a higher level, a level of concern that
went above and beyond anything expected or imagined. Gilkey wrote:
There was a quality seemingly unique to the missionary group, namely,
naturally and without pretense to respond to a need which everyone else
recognized only to turn aside. Much of this went unnoticed, but our camp
could scarcely have survived as well as it did without it. If there were
any evidences of the grace of God observable on the surface of our camp
existence, they were to be found here. 26
place in the next few days, you need to understand that this mission
Among those missionaries, Gilkey pointed out a young, athletic man
adventure really should be moving you toward Him. Examine your
he called “Eric Ridley.” During his time in the prison, Ridley dis-
life and determine if you are more excited about visiting a new place
played a special heart for the youth and children in the community.
or experiencing a deeper relationship with Jesus.
When he suddenly died of a brain tumor shortly before the camp
DID YOU KNOW?
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PAGE 89
was liberated by the Allies, his passing left an incredible void—even
though he had never gone out of his way to earn recognition.
“It is rare indeed when a person has the good fortune to meet a
saint,” Gilkey wrote of Eric Ridley, “ . . . he came as close to it as
PAGE 90
anyone I have ever known.”
In truth, “Eric Ridley” was Eric Liddell, who had won a gold medal in the
1924 Olympic Games and was later
“THE LIFESTYLE OF
LIGHT IS BUILT ON
A FOUNDATION OF
HUMILITY.”
the subject of the award-winning film “Chariots of Fire.” While a
young Liddell had earned fame on the world stage as one of the best
runners in the world, he chose to spend the rest of his life ministering—and dying—as a missionary in China. A man who could have
demanded special treatment as a famous athlete instead earned
something is not fair to you, step back and consider how being humble and giving up “fairness” might change how you radiate Christ’s
light in the situation. The world is not used to seeing anyone put
others ahead of self, but you have the chance to put that on display
on your mission field. Like Eric Liddell, you can be an example of
humble living. QUESTIONS TO PONDER:
When has someone touched your life by being a servant?
respect by becoming a humble servant of others.
Why do you think humility stood out in a place like the Japanese
prison camp? Why would it stick out among those around you? Write
your thoughts below.
When have you had an impact on others through your humble servanthood? Write your memories below.
READ JOHN 13:12-15.
ACTION POINT:
Eric Liddell radiated humility because he served a Lord who radiated
Commit to being a servant to someone between now and the day you
humility. In John 13, Jesus did not hesitate to take up the towel and
leave for your mission adventure. Write the person’s name and your
water pitcher. He didn’t hesitate to be a servant because He wanted to
plan below.
teach His followers how to be servants.
The lifestyle of light is built on a foundation of humility. What’s
more, it emphasizes the importance of servant evangelism. As you
move closer to your departure date, you need to wrestle with your
own take on humility and being a servant to others. When you want
to demand your rights in certain circumstances or complain that
PAGE 91
Now, identify ways you can continue being a servant—following the
PAGE 92
humble example of Jesus— on your mission adventure. Write your
WEEK FIVE: DAY FOUR
ideas below:
PRIESTLY LIVING
KEY SCRIPTURE PASSAGE: 1 PETER 2:9
Every four years, teams gather from around the globe to play in the
most important soccer tournament in the world: the World Cup. It’s
bigger than any sporting event we have here in America. Bigger than
the Super Bowl. Bigger than the World Series.
DID YOU KNOW?
Jesus’ humility went beyond his simple lifestyle. In Philippians 2,
Paul outlined how Jesus showed humility by leaving the glories
of heaven for the struggles of earth—and how that humility led to
a lifestyle of obedience to God and even death on a cross. Read
Philippians 2:1-11 and look for ways Jesus humbled Himself and
how God honored that humility.
It’s even bigger than the NCAA basketball tournament.
From the time they are old enough to kick a ball, young people from
places as diverse as Argentina and Cameroon, Portugal and South
Korea dream of earning a spot on their national team and taking the
stage for the world to see. They want to taste the glory of playing
against the world’s best and representing their country. After a month
NOTES
filled with pool play and elimination rounds, one nation will come out
on top. In 2010, that nation was Spain. In 2014, the dream begins all
over again.
Have you ever dreamed of representing your country on a worldwide
stage? In what sport or competition would you like to make that
happen?
Sporting events like the World Cup allow nations to distinguish
themselves and to earn a legacy like no other. In today’s devotion
verse, Peter seemed to understand the idea of leaving a legacy, but he
PAGE 93
PAGE 94
took it in a completely different direction. Rather than shine through
us—every chance we get. Of course, that’s why you’ll be heading to
competition and earn a name for themselves, he challenged believers
another part of the world in a few days, but you also have the chance
to leave a legacy by radiating Jesus and making Him famous.
to share Him with friends down the street or family across town.
READ 1 PETER 2:9.
The lifestyle of light is a priestly lifestyle. We do not live to make a
Peter said that Christians represented a “chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation.” Each of those terms would have been familiar
to most first-century believers because they symbolized the role of
Israel in the Old Testament. God had called Israel to be His people
and had chosen them to be a priesthood to the nations around them.
name for ourselves. We live to make a difference in the world and to
make the name of Jesus famous to the ends of the earth. We live to
radiate the light of Christ’s love in the darkness. As we do, we help
those around us move out of darkness into the indescribable light of
God.
Now, that responsibility falls to those who choose to follow Christ.
Because we are “His possession,” we are called to proclaim Him to
Which comes easier to you, speaking to God for others or speak-
the world.
ing to others about God? What steps can you take to make sure you
“WE DO NOT LIVE TO
MAKE A NAME FOR
OURSELVES. WE LIVE
TO MAKE THE NAME OF
JESUS FAMOUS TO THE
ENDS OF THE EARTH.”
In a nutshell, Old Testament
fulfill both aspects of your priestly responsibility?
priests had two main jobs. First,
they represented the people
before God. They offered the
sacrifices for the people, and they
prayed on behalf of the people.
Second, they represented God to
the people. They shared God’s Word with those who would listen,
and they warned those who refused to hear. These are the same jobs God requires of us today. We are His royal
priests because we are called to talk to Him (i.e. pray) on behalf of
those around us. We pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ who are
struggling. We pray for God to reveal Himself to those who have not
heard, and we beg Him to change the hearts of those who reject Him.
We also are commanded to share God’s message with those around
PAGE 95
ACTION POINT:
This week’s prayerwalk will be the last one you will take before you
leave for your mission site. This week, walk through the business
district of your town. Pray that God makes a difference in your city
and that He uses you to make a difference in the city or town you will
be visiting next week.
DID YOU KNOW?
In addition to priests, God also used prophets to share His messages
in the Old Testament. Amos was a prophet whom God commanded to
preach against a neighboring kingdom. Needless to say, the leadership
of that nation didn’t appreciate him much and told him to go home.
Read Amos 7:10-15 and note why Amos said he had to be faithful to
that work. Think about how that applies to your upcoming mission trip.
PAGE 96
WEEK FIVE: DAY FIVE
stronger, which reduces the strain on your joints. If you can develop
ACTIVE LIVING
an active lifestyle now as a teen, you have a better chance of staying
active later in life. It’s a habit worth developing.
KEY SCRIPTURE PASSAGE: EPHESIANS 2:10
Active lifestyles don’t only provide a physical benefit. It’s also healthy
According to Harvard University Medical School, a person who
to be spiritually active. In fact, we were created to be active on behalf
weighs 125 pounds can burn up to 165 calories with 30 minutes of
of God’s kingdom.
aerobics. A half hour of elliptical training can burn up to 270 calo-
READ EPHESIANS 2:10.
ries, while vigorous stationery biking can burn up to 315 calories in
In his letter to the Christians in Ephesus, Paul reminded them that
that same time.
they had been saved by faith and not by their good works (Ephesians
You don’t have to rely on traditional exercises, though, to burn calo-
2:1-9). In Ephesians 2:10, however, Paul also emphasized that good
ries. Bowling for 30 minutes burns 90 calories, as does playing with a
works, while they can never save anyone, are still an important part
Frisbee. Curling, a winter sport I don’t completely understand, burns
of the Christian life. He told the Ephesians that they were God’s cre-
120 calories for each half hour. Even activities like weeding a garden
ation and as His creation, believers are equipped—and expected—to
(139 calories), pushing a lawnmower (165 calories) and washing your
perform good works that will bring Him glory.
car (135 calories) can help you stay active.27 Active living is incredibly
This plan for good works wasn’t a spur of the moment decision, ei-
important to healthy living.
ther. God designed this plan from the very beginning of time and He
What are some of your favorite activities? When have you had
has already created good works for you to do. Before you were born,
trouble getting back into motion after taking some time away from
God knew you would go on this mission trip and He has already
activity?
created ways for you to radiate His light on the mission field. Now
it’s up to you to do those good works so people see them and glorify
your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16).
Along with eating right, activity is one simple thing that can improve
your overall health. Getting up and moving benefits your heart and
makes it easier to maintain a safe weight. As you get older, an active
lifestyle can help you avoid issues like high cholesterol and even
some forms of diabetes. Exercise also keeps your bones and muscles
PAGE 97
So God has always wanted His people to be active. He never intended for us to simply accept Jesus as Savior and then live out our
days just sitting around and waiting for heaven. He wants us to act,
to get moving. He wants us to get up and get out there, radiating His
love and light to others.
PAGE 98
The lifestyle of light is an active lifestyle. This mission trip may allow
you to be as active as you’ve ever been in your journey with Jesus. Just
remember that your good works are not about you. They are about
Jesus and His glory. Be active. Get out there and radiate light for
Him.
DID YOU KNOW?
The word used for “creation” in Ephesians 2:10 is sometimes
translated “workmanship.” It emphasizes God as our maker and
indicates the value we have as products of His hand. A masterpiece created by a painter or sculptor brings honor to the creator.
Likewise, we are called to bring honor and glory to our Creator.
We accomplish that through our good works.
Why do you do “Christian” things? What’s your motivation for going
on this mission trip?
NOTES
How does understanding an active lifestyle change your thinking?
ACTION POINT:
Just as there are many different ways of being physically active, God
can use your spiritual activity in a variety of ways. One of those ways
might be serving as a career missionary. As you prep for your mission
trip, pray that you would be open to full-time missions if that’s how
God leads you. Commit to being active in any way He chooses, even
if that means investing your life on a foreign field.
PAGE 99
PAGE 100
PROJECT WEEK: DAY ONE
YOUR TIME TO SHINE
READ PHILIPPIANS 2:12-15.
In today’s devotion passage, Paul had a lot to say to the Christians
KEY SCRIPTURE PASSAGE: PHILIPPIANS 2:12-15
in Philippi. When he told them to “work out their own salvation”
A few years ago, my oldest son and I were able to spend a week at
to display our salvation. That’s how we fulfill God’s purpose for our
a father-son camp in northern California. One of the nights, we
lives (v. 13).
literally stretched out under the stars to sleep. To say that the sheet
of stars in the sky that night was mind-boggling severely understates
how we felt. We were out in the middle of nowhere. No city lights to
compete with the natural beauty. No smog or pollution to cloud the
atmosphere. It was just us in a field under billions of twinkling lights.
My son is not easily impressed, but all he could really say was, “Wow!”
(v.12), he wasn’t talking about working to earn salvation, but working
He also challenged them to avoid grumbling and complaining because radiating that negativity creates division and damages the cause
of the Gospel. Instead, they were called to be “blameless and pure,
children of God who are faultless in a crooked and perverse generation” (v. 15).
When believers radiate purity and faultlessness, they “shine like stars
Can you remember a night like that in your life? How did you feel
in the world” (v. 15). They light up the darkness just like the stars in
seeing all those stars up in the sky?
the field that night in California. They were beautiful, inspirational
and impossible to ignore. You will have the same influence on the
darkness around you when you shine for God.
This is “on-the-field” week. Months of work and preparation boil
down to what you will allow God to accomplish through you over the
Whenever I see a sky like I saw that night, I always realize how small
next several days. So radiate purity and love as God’s stars on your
I really am in the grand scheme of the universe. More precisely, I
mission field. Work out your salvation and fulfill God’s purposes. Re-
think about how small I am compared to the God who created it all.
fuse to complain and grumble—even when you really want to do just
It’s a humbling experience, but it’s also a good reminder.
that. Strive to be blameless and pure in a crooked and perverse world.
I also remember that this same God—the One who is so much big-
This is your time to shine. Make the most of it!
ger than I am and so much smarter than I am—created me and loves
me. He sent His Son to die for me and He has a plan for me. I may
be small compared to Him, but I am not small in His eyes.
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PAGE 102
PROJECT WEEK: DAY TWO
CITY ON A HILL
What are some ways you plan to shine this week? Write your list
below.
KEY SCRIPTURE PASSAGE: MATTHEW 5:14-16
How can you keep complaining and grumbling at bay so you can
shine as you should?
Over the years, I’ve had a lot of chances to fly and I’ve learned to
appreciate a few things about trips on an airplane. For instance, on
a cloudy day, it’s amazing to cut through the overcast skies until the
plane breaks through into brilliant sunlight. Above the clouds, the
skies are as blue and the sun is as bright as you can imagine. You get
to leave the gloominess behind for a little while.
ACTION POINT:
As you hit the ground running at your ministry site, pay attention to
the challenges and blessings you face each day. Each evening before
you go to sleep, record your experiences and prayer requests in your
journal. Record things like how you saw God at work or how you
heard Him speak. Write about things that have surprised you or
things that you did that you never would have imagined before this
I also enjoy flying over farmland. It’s like looking down on a huge
quilt with patches of green dotting the landscape. Sometimes, I can
make out trucks or tractors working down below, and I wonder
what’s going on in the lives of the folks working those fields. I wonder about the events they celebrate or the situations that are causing
them pain.
week. Include in your journal entry prayers of dependence on God
I’ve also learned to appreciate flying into my hometown at night.
and praise for the work He is doing in your host country.
There’s something comforting about seeing the lights of my city appear on the horizon. It lets me know that I’m almost home.
What do you like most about flying? What was something memorable
DID YOU KNOW?
about your flight to your mission field? How do you think you’ll feel
In Genesis 15, God showed Abraham the stars and then told Abraham
that his offspring would be as numerous as the stars in the sky. Childless
Abraham probably couldn’t begin to imagine how that was possible. This
week, you may not be able to imagine the extent to which God can use
your ministry, but God can do “more than you can ask or imagine” (Eph.
3:20, NIV). That’s something to think and pray about as you get to work
on the field!
when you get your first glimpse of your hometown on your return
PAGE 103
flight? Write your thoughts below.
PAGE 104
People back in the first century didn’t have airplanes to give them a
field this week, let your light shine. Be a city on a hill and show Jesus
30,000-foot view of the world. Instead, seeing the lights of a home-
to those around you.
town nestled on top of a hill was a welcome sight for many travelers.
When they saw their city on the hill, they knew that they were almost
home.
What might tempt you to hide your light under a basket? How can
you overcome that temptation this week? Write your thoughts below.
READ MATTHEW 5:14-16.
In today’s devotion passage, Jesus compared His people to a city on a
hill. Just as you can’t really hide an entire town built on a high elevation, you shouldn’t try to hide the light of Jesus radiating through you.
As you continue your work in your host nation, you might be
How can you encourage others when they’re tempted to hide their
lights?
tempted to hide your light because you are facing opposition, or you
might just get tired. Either way, you may think it would be better just
to put your light “under a basket.” However, Jesus emphasized that
your light needs to shine in the darkness. During those times when
ACTION POINT:
you think about hiding it, ask God for an extra measure of courage
Today is your prayerwalk day for this week. Now that you’ve been
and stamina and then commit to making it radiate even brighter.
on the field for a day or so, you probably have a better feel for the
“ASK GOD FOR AN EXTRA
MEASURE OF COURAGE
AND STAMINA AND THEN
COMMIT TO MAKING IT
RADIATE EVEN BRIGHTER.”
people in your host nation and their needs. Gather several of your
I realize that’s easier said
than done. I also realize (and
hope you realize, too) that
you aren’t radiating the light
on your own. Jesus called
team members for a prayerwalk through your ministry site. Be sure
to clear this with your site coordinators so they know where you are.
Pray for the people and the work that is being done. Ask God to help
your light to shine in a way that glorifies Him.
you the “light of the world” (v. 14), but you’re simply reflecting the
only true light of the world (John 8:12). As you let the light of Christ
into your life this week, you can reflect and radiate it out to others
through His power.
Light is much too important to be hidden. As you serve Christ on the
PAGE 105
DID YOU KNOW?
Ancient pilgrims who visited Jerusalem had to climb a long hill to get to
the city and the temple complex within. Some scholars believe that as
the visitors walked, they would sing “Songs of Ascent,” or psalms that
expressed excitement about experiencing God’s presence in His temple.
Psalms 120—134 are considered part of this collection of Ascents.28
PAGE 106
PROJECT WEEK: DAY THREE
When God called Abraham in Genesis 15, He promised that He was
LIGHT TO THE NATIONS
going to create a great nation through him. But God wasn’t planning
KEY SCRIPTURE PASSAGE: ISAIAH 42:6
on building a country just for the fun of it. On the contrary, God’s
plan was for this nation of people to live for Him so completely that
all other nations could see His power and magnificence. He wanted
A couple of years ago, my family visited the Tennessee Aquarium
in Chattanooga. We had an address, but we really didn’t know how
to get there from our hotel. So we plugged the information into our
GPS and took off. We made one turn after another, trusting our
electronic guide to get us where we needed to go. When the little
voice said, “You have arrived at your destination,” though, we were a
little skeptical. Instead of being at the Tennessee Aquarium, we were
in the middle of a Chattanooga neighborhood—nothing but houses
in every direction.
A second attempt with the GPS worked out much better, but it was a
good reminder that even the best guides go a little haywire from time
to time.
them to radiate His light to the nations.
READ ISAIAH 42:6.
At times, Israel was right on target with God’s vision. For the most
part, though, God’s people crashed and burned spiritually. By the
time Isaiah shared his prophecy, God had already decided that His
“light to the nations” would be going into captivity among the nations.
Thankfully, that wasn’t the end of the story. Jesus became the
ultimate Light for all nations by dying on the cross for our sin and
by giving us the promise of life through His resurrection. And He
has commissioned us as part of His “great nation” to be His light.
When have you received incorrect directions from someone (or
Like the Hebrews of old, we are called to radiate His light to the
something, like a GPS)? What did you do?
nations—a calling you’re living out this week.
As you strive to radiate light in your part of the world, you’ll probably face religions and worldviews that challenge your faith. You’ll
meet people who are very sincere about their faith, even though what
they believe runs contrary to the truth of the Bible. If that’s the case,
remember that Jesus is the one, genuine Light. He is the only hope
Sometimes, we can get wrong directions in other areas of life, as well.
for the people you will touch this week. Be His light to your host na-
The folks we trust might lead us down the wrong path, and we end
tion so they see His compassion, forgiveness and love.
up feeling lost and confused. That’s why it’s important to make sure
our “source” for life information is solid.
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PAGE 108
What about your host nation has surprised—or even shocked—you
the most so far? What unexpected challenges have you faced?
PROJECT WEEK: DAY FOUR
WHEN THE SPIRIT MOVES
Oswald Chambers, a Scottish preacher best known for his devotional
book “My Utmost for His Highest,” initially wanted to become an
What has been a cause for celebration?
artist. He even studied toward that end in his earlier years, planning
to use his talents to glorify God. Eventually, he realized that God had
other plans. Rather than pursuing art for the glory of God, Chambers
became convinced he should be pursuing God alone.
ACTION POINT:
In response to God’s call on his life, Chambers began training for the
Each night when you look at the moon, remember two things. First,
ministry, but he had a miserable time of it. Dogged by doubts about
don’t forget that the moon only reflects light from the sun. Likewise,
his own abilities, he began to wonder if he had really heard God’s
you are called to reflect Jesus’ light to the world. Second, remember
voice after all. Focusing on his own spiritual weakness, he questioned
that the moon you see is the same moon the people back home are
whether he could complete the tasks that God had given him. He felt
seeing. Let that be a connection point for you as pray for them and as
foolish and inadequate.
you receive strength from their prayers on your behalf.
At his lowest point, Chambers did the only thing he knew to do. He
surrendered himself completely to God and asked that He send His
Spirit to strengthen him. From that point on, the spiritual clouds lifted, and Chambers felt a power and peace he had never known before.
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PAGE 109
Once he depended entirely on the Spirit, God strengthened Chambers
to accomplish much before his life was cut short at the age of 43.29
How do you deal with feelings of inadequacy? How have you felt
inadequate on the mission field this week? Write your thoughts below.
PAGE 110
How has God strengthened you?
thing. It doesn’t mean that you’re not cut out for ministry. It means
that you’ve awakened to your complete need of Him. Continue to
depend on Him and allow Him to accomplish through you the good
READ ISAIAH 61:1-3.
works He has planned for you on this mission experience. (Ephesians
In today’s devotion verses, the prophet Isaiah was looking forward to
the coming Messiah. When the Savior would come, Isaiah proph-
2:10). Beyond your time on the mission field, let the Spirit continue
to move in your life when you get back home.
esied, He would be empowered by God’s Spirit. He would minister to
the down and out. He would heal broken hearts and broken bodies.
What does complete surrender to the Holy Spirit look like in your life?
He would reveal the path to a restored relationship with God.
“IT’S OUR JOB TO DEPEND
COMPLETELY ON THE SPIRIT
AND TO SERVE AS CHRIST’S
HANDS AND FEET UNTIL HE
RETURNS.”
The Messiah would bring hope
where despair had reigned. He
would provide freedom where
How has the Spirit used you to accomplish the kind of ministry
described in Isaiah 61:1-3?
there had been captivity. He
would radiate light where there
had only been darkness. Jesus fulfilled all these Messianic expectations and even affirmed His fulfillment of these verses during His
earthly ministry (Luke 4:16-30).
ACTION POINT:
As the Spirit continues to lead you back at home, He may direct you
to serve on the mission field again. There are lots of ways you can do
that: through other high school mission projects, for a full summer or
Jesus’ work on earth is only part of the story, however. As His fol-
semester as a college student, for two years after college as a Journey-
lowers, He has given us the responsibility of continuing His minis-
man, or as a career missionary. Go to imbstudents.org to pray about
try. It’s our job to depend completely on the Spirit and to serve as
your options.
Christ’s hands and feet until He returns. When we do that, lives will
be changed. Broken hearts will be healed. Captives will experience
freedom. Light will radiate from us, replacing the darkness. That’s a
tall order! It’s one we can only accomplish through the power of the
Holy Spirit.
Over the past few days, you may have experienced your need for the
Spirit in your life more acutely than ever before. That’s not a bad
PAGE 111
DID YOU KNOW?
Many scholars believe Isaiah was using words and images related
to “Jubilee,” a special year-long celebration for the Israelites that
occurred every 50 years. During Jubilee, slaves were set free, land
that had been confiscated was restored to the rightful owners and
planting crops was put on hold for a year to allow the land to rest.
This year of rest challenged the Israelites to put their faith in God
and to trust Him to provide for their needs.30
PAGE 112
PROJECT WEEK: DAY FIVE
ered around God’s throne.
WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT
People from every possible
KEY SCRIPTURE PASSAGE: REVELATION 7:9-10
represented. Language bar-
nationality and ethnicity were
riers were no problem. Even
“LEADING PEOPLE TO THE
THRONE OF GOD SHOULD BE
AN INCREDIBLE MOTIVATION
FOR RADIATING THE LIGHT
OF JESUS.”
What’s the biggest crowd you’ve even been a part of ? How did you
though the crowd was too large for anyone to number, they were all
feel around all those people? How eager would you be to join a
there for the same purpose—praising God.
crowd like that again? Write your thoughts below.
That crowd will be at it for a while. Longer than any fireworks display
or the few minutes of a sporting event, these folks will be celebrating
the Lamb for eternity. It’s a crowd all of us will want to join!
If you have accepted Christ as your personal Savior, you will be part
of that crowd. That should encourage you. Here’s another encourTo be honest, I’m not really a big fan of crowds. I’m not claustro-
agement: Anyone you help lead to Christ during your mission trip will
phobic, but I like being able to move around as I please. I don’t like
be there, as well. Your efforts this week have helped fill out the crowd
the feeling of being herded in a certain direction like cattle, and I
written about in Revelation 7!
don’t like the traffic jam that usually accompanies my departure from
Now, here’s a challenge: Every person you lead to Christ once you get
a crowded event.
back home will also be in that crowd. In other words, you won’t be
Having said that, some events are worth the trouble. My hometown’s
leaving your mission behind in your host nation. Your may be chang-
Fourth of July celebration draws hundreds of thousands of people
ing locations, but your true mission travels with you. God still wants
each year and I love it. Our local professional football team puts
you to share the Gospel every chance you get. He still wants you to
70,000 people in the stadium every game day. It’s a little bit of a
radiate His light in a world living in darkness.
hassle, but I can deal with it for three or four hours.
When you question the need to witness, just remember the crowd
Today’s devotion passage—the final devotion for your mission adven-
in Revelation 7. Leading people to the throne of God should be an
ture—paints an incredible picture of an amazing crowd.
incredible motivation for radiating the light of Jesus—at home and
READ REVELATION 7:9-10.
abroad. It’s really what the last 29 devotions have been all about.
In his vision of heaven, John said he saw a “vast multitude” gath-
PAGE 113
It’s really what the Christian life is all about.
PAGE 114
NOTES
Since we will be praising God for all eternity when we get to heaven,
how can you practice your praise while you’re still here on earth?
What can you praise God about related to this mission adventure?
How will you share that back home?
ACTION POINT:
You may have been surprised at how easy it was to share your faith
in your host nation. Now you will face the challenge of your familiar
high school hallways or college campus. Remember, your location
might change, but your true mission remains the same. Commit to
using what you have learned on the mission field as you get ready
for your next mission field—the one you will face each day on your
native soil.
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PAGE 115
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ON THE TRIP HOME
Who are some people you will miss?
(Complete this personal journal entry on your way home)
Can you believe it? You are already on your way home from your
mission experience. What a whirlwind, huh? Whether you are tired,
anxious, sad, relieved or a combination of all of the above, know that
How did you see God at work on the mission field?
what you are feeling is normal.
You are going to feel differently than you did on your last plane ride.
Since then, you have been a part of a cross-cultural mission experience full of challenges, opportunities to serve others and experiences
How did you see God work in or through you?
outside of your familiar world. Our prayer for you is that you will
be “unable to stop speaking about what [you] have seen and heard”
(Acts 4:20). Before the memories of your trip fade, take a few minutes and write down your answers to the following questions:
Did God speak to you through this experience? If so, what did He say?
Today’s date: Your mission project location: What were some of the things that were attempted and perhaps ac-
What new perspective about the world do you have from this trip and
complished by this mission project?
how will it change you?
How do you feel about leaving your host country?
Is there a “God story” from your mission trip that you want share
with your family and friends at home? Summarize it here:
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Take a few minutes to pray. Here are some suggestions:
IT’S NOT OVER YET
• Ask God to continue to work in the lives of any people you
(Read this article as you head home)
mentioned above in your answers.
• Pray that God will send more workers into the harvest field in
You have been on the mission field, serving among a people group
your host country (Matt. 9:37-38).
perhaps thousands of miles away from the comfort of your home-
• Ask the Lord to help you think of stories from your mission
town. You have seen the mighty hand of God move in your life and
experience to share with people back home that show what He is
the lives of those around you. Are you sensing God’s Spirit stirring
doing in that place.
something in you? Maybe for the first time you have realized that
God has a bigger purpose for your life than you have ever dreamed
Keep this Devotional Guide in a place where you can easily access it
over the next week or so. There are more journal pages in the back
you can use as you work through debriefing, during which you will
explore what this mission experience means to you and how it has
changed your life.
and some of the things you used to hold dear now seem trivial.
Perhaps you know God wants you to something more with your life
than live in the USA with a job, a spouse, 2.5 kids and a house with a
picket fence. How do you navigate this new terrain?
After a whirlwind trip, the journey home usually has a lot of mixed
Read the following article about entering back into your own culture
so you know some of what to expect to feel and experience when
you get home. When you get home, go online to imbstudents.org/
feelings. Are you exhausted from a busy schedule? Are you happy to
go home and rejoin your family? Are you sad to leave new friends
behind?
iwc/followup and work through the follow-up devotions. These
Above all, we hope you sense that God has specifically intervened in
devotions will help you adjust back to home life while not letting go
your life to open your eyes to what it means to join Him on mission.
of your mission experience.
What does joining God on mission mean for your future? Could it
Now take a nap. You will need it to get over the jet lag!
be full-time mission service? More short-term mission trips? A call to
pray for the nations? A path of service back home?
As a believer, God already has called you to Himself and His work,
whatever that might look like. He is most likely using your mission
trip experience to show you what it means to be more fully connected to His heart for the nations. Jesus said that loving God and
loving people are the most important things we can do in life. Love
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PAGE 120
is an action, and the Bible speaks very clearly about how all follow-
them. To combat their chronic forgetfulness, God often commanded
ers of Jesus are called to the action of reaching the nations with the
His people to create a reminder of what He had done. In Genesis,
message of His love.
the patriarchs built altars to remember where they met with God.
A crucial part of this mission trip has to do with how you will return
to your daily life. The big question now is: What will you do with
what you experienced? You can either sideline your experience as a
“fun time” and get back to “real life” or take deliberate steps to combine your new knowledge and passion into the call God has given
you.
Moses insisted that the Israelites remember God’s commands so they
tied Bible verse holders (phylacteries) to their foreheads!32 When God
stopped the waters of the Jordan River so the Israelites could cross
over to the Promised Land, Joshua had men carry large stones from
the middle of the riverbed to build a memorial. The stones were to
be an object lesson so the Israelites would not forget to tell the story
of God’s faithfulness, especially to their children.33
Please don’t let your mission experience simply become another
stamp in your passport or even the memory of a great cross-cultural
trip. Take the time and effort to let it change the way you see and
interact with the world. Let it make you more obedient to the call of
God in your life. Consider these four aspects of debriefing to help
you integrate your mission trip into a life-long discipleship journey:
remembering, reentering, reflecting and resolving.
REMEMBER – START WITH A JOURNAL
We humans are rather forgetful and we constantly need reminders.
You may not believe it now, but in a few weeks you might lose the
excitement and insights of what you experienced on mission. It is just
part of being human. And in our busy lives, it’s almost unavoidable.
You will need to deliberately determine to remember your mission
experiences. Otherwise, the normal routines of life will easily deaden
your ears to what you have heard from God.
These examples make it clear that we, God’s forgetful people, need to
take deliberate steps to remember God and His mighty works on our
behalf. The journey home is the best place to think about what your
mission experience means and how you will remember it while it is
fresh on your mind. Take some time to journal your thoughts in the
pages at the end of this book. Ask yourself: How did I see God work
on the mission field? How did I see God work in me? What is God
now saying to me about missions? These questions will form the
foundation for remembering, the first stage of your debriefing.
RE-ENTER – STRUGGLE WITH A NEW
PERSPECTIVE
Re-entry is the term that describes coming back from a mission experience and resuming a normal routine and relationships. Re-entry is
more than just getting back into your comfort zone, sleeping in your
own bed, and eating your favorite foods again. One writer calls it
In the Bible, there are numerous stories about God doing amazing
the “final phase of cultural transition,” or the idea that your mission
things for His people, but they soon forgot what He had done for
trip is not over until you have adjusted back into your home culture.
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Research has indicated that re-entry is the most critical time for you
(2) Embrace the struggle between cultures, face up to your new
to translate what you have learned into the way you live.
perspective and open yourself up to changes God has for your life.
For some people, re-entry can be traumatic. Viewing your “normal”
It is not easy to allow your mission experience to change your life.
routine through the eyes of your mission experience can make life at
The simplest thing to do with re-entry is to get back to your comfort
home not seem “normal” at all. Maybe you already feel some conflict
food and start planning another trip. The hardest but most meaning-
between cultures, so you understand how a change of perspective can
ful thing is to say “yes” to change and follow God’s lead to a mis-
produce a whirlwind of emotions. For instance, do you see the world
sional life.
34
differently now than you did before? Do the comforts of home
contrast with the poverty of the people that you encountered? Did
you find it easy or hard to share your faith? Will your friends back
REFLECT – SORT IT OUT WITH GOD’S WORD
AND GOD’S PEOPLE
home understand or appreciate what you have experienced? It is quite
One of the biggest mistakes we make in modern life is to rush
possible that some of the views you had before going on mission and
through experiences and not take the time to savor them. Did you
the ones you have now are in conflict.
spend much time planning, preparing, and getting excited about this
A great deal of the impact of your mission trip will come from your
exposure to another culture and people. Understandably, it can lead
you to question aspects of your identity, such as your relationships,
trip? Do you remember what it was like to anticipate the travel, being
with friends and learning about a new country? Why not do something similar after the trip?
spending habits and religious beliefs.35 Maybe a conflict in your
Reflection helps you to take what you have learned on mission and
worldview right now is a good thing. It’s possible you have taken
integrate it into your world at home.36 Your time of reflecting should
some things for granted, and some of the emotions you now feel can
center on God’s Word, preferably in a Bible study with a group who
help you see what needs to change in your day-to-day life.
has been with you on the trip. It can be very valuable to you and your
Be reassured that the crazy emotions don’t last forever. And you get
to determine how your mission experiences will affect your return
home. As you reenter your life at home, you have a couple of options:
(1) Post some pictures on Facebook, mark your travels on a map and
move on with life as usual; or
PAGE 123
group to review your mission experience together through the lens of
the Word of God and discuss your reactions, questions and feelings.
Your group leader has a follow-up Bible study for your group in his/
her Group Preparation Guide.
Did you travel on this mission trip without a group? A group reflection experience is still possible for you. Set up a meeting with your
pastor, student minister, or a godly mentor in your life to share and
PAGE 124
discuss your answers to the “On the Trip Home” journal. Perhaps
People often say that they received more than they gave on a mission
there is a Bible study group you attend that would be a good setting
trip. It really is true that “it is more blessed to give than to receive”
for you to share and reflect.
(Acts 20:35). Remember, however, that going on mission trip is not
The other aspect of reflection calls for you to spend time alone daily
with God in Bible study and reflection. The week of follow-up devotions at imbstudents.org/iwc/followup will guide you to consider
what God is saying to you and how your mission experience should
transform your everyday life. Get someone to hold you accountable
to complete these devotions. If you don’t already have a habit of daily Bible study and prayer, let this be your beginning and start planning
just about you and your experiences. It is about what God is doing
in the world and what He wants to do through your life. Perhaps the
most important thing that can happen now is for you to remember,
reenter, reflect and resolve to serve so that you can further your
journey with God. Will you take these steps to better understand
God’s call to a missional lifestyle? Remember, your mission trip is not
over yet!
now for what you will do next in personal Bible reading and study.
The group study and personal devotions are necessary to provide you
with accountability and the ability to understand how your worldview
has been altered by the short term experience.37
RESOLVE – SERVE GOD BY PRACTICING
WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED
Your debriefing is not complete until it leads to action. Service is
where the rubber meets the road. The value of remembering, reentering and reflecting finally becomes real when you express it through
new ways of living and serving. As you put what you have learned
from the mission trip into practice, your new perspective about God,
life and culture solidifies. Verbal—and even written—spiritual commitments are just “lip-service” until you carry them out. God’s call
to a missional lifestyle doesn’t just happen in your mind; it is carried
out in your actions when you serve others. Consider the old Chinese proverb: “I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I do and I
understand.”
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ENDNOTES
1
“The Speed of Light,” The Museum of Unnatural Mystery, accessed July
16, 2012, unmuseum.org/speed.htm.
“’Winding Up’ as the Mets’ Knuckleball Pitcher,” NPRBooks, accessed
15
July 8, 2012, npr.org/2012/04/10/150283169/winding-up-as-the-metsknuckleball-pitcher and Aaron May, “Old School--Review: Wherever I
2
The Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, s.v. “Artemis.”
3
“John Wycliffe,” Christian History, accessed July 5, 2012, christianityto-
day.com/ch/131christians/moversandshakers/wycliffe.html.
4
Ibid.
5
The Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, s.v. “Proverbs, Book of.”
6
“CDC Warns Public to Prepare for ‘Zombie Apocalypse,” FoxNews.com,
accessed July 6, 2012, foxnews.com/health/2011/05/18/cdc-warns-pub-
Wind Up.” Sports Spectrum, accessed July 8, 2012, sportsspectrum.com/
articles/2012/06/14/old-school-review-wherever-i-wind-up/.
16
The Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, s.v. “Thorn in the Flesh.”
17
The Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, s.v. “Philippians, The Letter to
the.”
18
The Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, s.v. “Satan.”
19
The Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, s.v.“Isaiah.”
lic-prepare-zombie-apocalypse/.
John 13:34-35.
20
7
Sean McDowell, ed., Introduction to Book of Isaiah, Apologetics Study
Bible for Students (B&H Publishing Group, Nashville: Tennessee).
21
J. Lynn Burrow (IMB missionary to Tanzania and Kenya, now retired), in
discussion with Felicity Slemp, July 1995.
8
To learn about prayerwalking, go to imbstudents.org/iwc/more. For BiCameron Smith, “Ohio runner stops in state final to aid fallen opponent,”
ble references about what you can pray for during a prayerwalk, see http://
22
media1.imbresources.org/files/85/8521/8521-46574.pdf.
Prep Rally (blog), Yahoo! Sports, June 5, 2012, sports.yahoo.com/blogs/
highschool-prep-rally/ohio-runner-stops-state-final-aid-fallen-oppo-
9
The Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, s.v.“Isaiah, Martyrdom of.”
10
C.S. Lewis, Surprised by Joy, in The Inspirational Writings of C.S. Lewis,
nent-100722161.html.
23
The Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, s.v. “Hebrews, Letter to the.”
24
Erich Bridges and Jerry Rankin, Lives Given, Not Taken: 21st Century
125.
11
Genesis 1:2.
12
See Isaiah 9:1-7 as an example of both of these promises.
13
The Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, s.v. “Festivals.”
14
Southern Baptist Martyrs, (Richmond, Virginia: International Mission Board,
2005), 189-219.
25
“Lives Given, Not Taken: 21st Century Southern Baptist Martyrs” is avail-
able at imbresources.org/index.cfm/product/detail/prodID/1330.
Doris Kearns Goodwin, Team of Rivals, xv-xvii.
PAGE 127
PAGE 128
26
Langdon Gilkey, Shantung Compound, (San Francisco: HarperOne, 1975),
192.
27
“Calories burned in 30 minutes for people of three different weights,”
Harvard Health Newsletters online, accessed July 14, 2012, health.harvard.
edu/newsweek/Calories-burned-in-30-minutes-of-leisure-and-routineactivities.htm.
28
The Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary Online, s.v. “Degrees, Song of,”
mystudybible.com.
29
“Oswald Chambers,” Christian History, christianitytoday.com/
ch/131christians/innertravelers/chambers.html.
30
See Leviticus 25. The Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary Online, s.v.
“Jubilee, Year of.” mystudybible.com.
31
International Mission Board, “Global Status of Evangelical Christianity,”
Global Research, accessed July 16, 2008, public.imb.org/globalresearch/
Pages/default.aspx.
32
Deuteronomy 6:8.
33
Joshua 4.
34
Adler, N.J. 1981. Re-entry: Managing cross-cultural transitions. Group and
Organizational Studies 6( 3) :341-356.
35
Johnston, David M. 2006. Closing the loop: Debriefing and the short-
term missions team. Missiology: An International Review XXXIV (4): 524.
36
Joplin, L. 1981. On defining experiential education. Journal of Experien-
tial Education 4 (1): 17-20.
37
Chinn, Lisa Espineli. 1998. Re-entry guide for short-term mission leaders.
Orlando, FL: Deeper Roots Publications.
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"Radiate" Student Guide

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